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Cohesion Fund
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) which members of the EU which have been admitted to stage 3 of EMU will still be eligible for assistance from the Cohesion Fund; and to what extent after 1 January 2000 as a result of the Berlin summit; [79558]
- (2) what was agreed at the Berlin summit in respect of the future of the Cohesion Fund. [79568]
Mr. Wills: Following agreement of the Agenda 2000 package at the Berlin Council of Ministers on 25 March.
It was concluded that the four current beneficiaries: Spain, Greece, Portugal and Ireland should continue to be eligible for funding in 2000 while they met the criteria. A review of eligibility based on 90 per cent. average GNP criterion will be undertaken at mid-term in 2003. In the event of a Member State becoming ineligible, resources for the Cohesion Fund will be reduced accordingly.
The Council agreed that the overall level of resources available to be committed under the Cohesion Fund for the years 2000 to 2006 should be 18 billion euros. On the financial management and control provisions in the regulation it was concluded that there should be consistency with the relevant provisions of the Structural Fund regulation, subject to taking due account of the specific features of the Cohesion Fund.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate what proportion of the differential in timber production costs between the Baltic States and the United Kingdom is attributable to lower wages. [74149]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 2 March 1999]: Recent information from UK industry sources, consistent with official data, indicates that in the UK an average wage in a modern sawmill is approximately an hourly rate of £7 (including employers' costs).
Information from official statistical sources in the Baltic States indicates that the daily average rates in the Baltic States industry are in the range of £7-11 (including employers' costs). However, information from UK industry sources suggests that wage rates in some individual mills, such as modern sawmills, may be somewhat higher. The range of £7-11 is broadly consistent with International Labour Organisation estimates for wages in the much broader agriculture and timber products industries in the Baltic States.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the working population of the United Kingdom is at present covered by assisted area status; and if he will estimate the percentage after 1 January 2000. [79559]
31 Mar 1999 : Column: 805
Mr. Wills:
The Commission Guidelines designate levels of coverage in terms of residence-based population. The current level for the United Kingdom is 38.3 per cent. In December 1998, the Commission informed the UK that the coverage of its Assisted Areas designated under Article 92(3)a and 92(3)c after 1 January 2000 should be no more than 28.7 per cent.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the criteria which are being used in drawing up the new map of assisted areas in the UK for submission to the European Commission. [79580]
Mr. Wills:
The Government have not yet decided the criteria which it will use in drawing up the new Assisted Areas map. They will be published as soon as possible.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans his Department has to expand nuclear waste storage plants at (a) Winfrith, (b) Aldermaston and (c) Harwell. [79510]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 30 March 1999]: I have no plans to expand the storage of nuclear waste at Winfrith and Harwell as this is an operational matter for the UKAEA which is subject to independent regulation by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) and the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure compliance with nuclear safety and environmental standards. I have therefore asked the Chairman of the UKAEA to write to my hon. Friend with the information required and to place a copy of his reply in the Library of the House.
Aldermaston is a Ministry of Defence establishment and I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence for information about that site.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what surveys he has undertaken of the provision of advisory services by (a) citizen's advice bureaux, (b) law centres, (c) local authorities and (d) voluntary bodies in each London borough; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the level of provision. [76233]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The level of support for advisory services is a matter for local authorities to consider in the light of local needs and priorities and the resources available to them. We are, however, concerned to ensure the provision of good quality, accessible advice to anyone who needs it. This is a central strand in our consumer strategy aimed at furthering our commitment to giving consumers a fair deal. A White Paper will be published in the summer.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the value of exports from the territory of the Turkish Cypriot regime in Northern Cyprus to the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [79548]
31 Mar 1999 : Column: 806
Mr. Wilson:
The information requested is not available. HM Customs and Excise collect statistics for UK trade in goods with Cyprus as a whole. These data do not separately identify Northern Cyprus. Information on trade in services with Cyprus is not available.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to promote the harmonisation of company law in the EU. [78917]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 30 March 1999]: A number of harmonising Directives in the field of company law have already been adopted or proposed.
In addition, during its Presidency in 1998, the UK achieved significant progress on the proposal for a European Company Statute which will make it easier for companies with operations in more than one Member State to restructure their business.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) each other EU member state provided to the European Space Agency in the last year for which figures are available. [78945]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 30 March 1999]: The UK's commitment to the European Space Agency in 1998 amounted to 186 MEuros. Other ESA Member States' commitments, including those which are not EU Member States, were as follows (also in MEuros):
| Member States | Amount |
|---|---|
| France | 632 |
| Germany | 553 |
| Italy | 269 |
| Belgium | 125 |
| Spain | 93 |
| Netherlands | 78 |
| Switzerland | 72 |
| Sweden | 60 |
| Austria | 30 |
| Denmark | 24 |
| Norway | 22 |
| Finland | 14 |
| Ireland | 6 |
Export Licences
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 12 March 1999, Official Report, column 406, if he will give details of the four licences granted for the export of military equipment to the Rwandan Government since 1 May 1997. [78980]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 29 March 1999]: These licences covered communications equipment, as noted in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 25 March. Inquiries have been made under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, and I can accordingly disclose the following further details about these licences.
31 Mar 1999 : Column: 807
31 Mar 1999 : Column: 807
Mr. Hood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the professional bodies with responsibility for the conduct of those acting for his Department's Insolvency Service. [79035]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 29 March 1999]: Under the Insolvency Act 1986, only authorised persons may act as insolvency practitioners. Authorisation may be granted either by a professional body recognised by the Secretary of State or directly by the Secretary of State. Professional bodies are recognised on the basis that they have rules to ensure that practitioners have appropriate educational qualifications and experience and that they remain fit and proper.
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