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Miners (Compensation)
Mr. Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much in total he estimates his Department will pay in compensation as result of miners' (a) vibration white finger injuries and (b) chronic bronchitis and emphysema diseases. [82530]
Mr. Battle: The gross level of provision for the British Coal health liabilities assumed by the Department is:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 228.2 |
| 2000-01 | 490.3 |
| 2001-02 | 507.5 |
Due to a number of uncertainties--not least the number of claims likely to be received and the actual levels of compensation payable in individual cases--it is not possible to say how much will be required to meet the specific cost of miners' health claims for vibration white finger, and chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
The Government have however made it clear that they will provide the funds necessary to meet the cost of legitimate claims.
Right-hand Drive Vehicles
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers he has to prevent car manufacturers from refusing to supply right-hand drive vehicles to continental dealers for sale to United Kingdom customers. [81223]
Mr. Byers: EC competition law provides that manufacturers must not restrict the freedom of their dealers to supply right-hand drive motor vehicles to UK customers.
Enforcement of these provisions is a matter for the European Commission. The seriousness with which the Commission views breaches of EC law was
28 Apr 1999 : Column: 205
demonstrated by its decision to fine Volkswagen £67 million in January 1998 for prohibiting its dealers in Italy from selling cars to foreign buyers.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the United Kingdom's policy is on the proposal from the US and other Governments to negotiate a forest products sectoral trade liberalisation agreement before the 1999 WTO ministerial conference in Seattle. [82262]
Mr. Wilson:
The possibility of a sectoral liberalisation agreement reducing tariffs on forest products and other limited sectors is being proposed by the US and other members of APEC for agreement at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle. The primary objective of the Conference is to launch a new comprehensive round of trade negotiations, including industrial tariffs, agriculture, services and technical standards and a range of other issues. The UK's priority issues were set out in my previous answer to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Stunell) of 21 January 1999, Official Report, column 548. The UK and the EU are concerned not to lose momentum for launching the wider negotiations at Seattle by focusing only on limited sectors. We do not rule out early agreements on tariffs including the forest product sector during the course of the new round as part of a comprehensive package of negotiations.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff who have worked as professional statisticians in his Department have left on early retirement in each of the past 10 years. [81179]
Mr. Byers:
Three "professional" Statisticians have left the Department on early retirement, including retirement on medical grounds, in the last ten years.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what considerations are delaying publication of the MMC report on Milk Marque. [82273]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 27 April 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will publish the report as soon as is practicable.
The Department of Trade and Industry has provided information about the publication arrangements for monopoly reports at paragraphs 8.1-8.3 of its publication "Guidance on DTI procedures for handling Monopoly references and reports", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Professional Statisticians
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many staff who have worked as professional statisticians in his Department have left on early retirement in each of the past 10 years. [81178]
28 Apr 1999 : Column: 206
Mr. Morley:
The number of professional statisticians who left on early retirement (including on medical grounds) from my Department in each of the past 10 years was as follows:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1989 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 |
| 1991 | 0 |
| 1992 | 0 |
| 1993 | 1 |
| 1994 | 0 |
| 1995 | 2 |
| 1996 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 |
I have asked Chief Executives to reply separately.
Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 28 April 1999:
Letter from P. W. Greig-Smith to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 28 April 1999:
Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 28 April 1999:
Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 28 April 1999:
Letter from P. I. Stanley to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 28 April 1999:
28 Apr 1999 : Column: 207
Letter from Sarah Nason to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 28 April 1999:
Letter from J. A. Bainton to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 28 April 1999:
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate his Department has made of the rat population of (a) the UK, (b) London, (c) Manchester, (d) Liverpool, (e) Newcastle, (f) Bristol and (g) Plymouth. [82460]
Mr. Morley:
Data on the incidence of rodents in England were collected in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' 1996 English House Condition Survey on behalf of MAFF. The results should be published later this year. The sample size of the survey does not permit figures for individual local authorities to be produced.
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about how many staff who have worked as professional statisticians at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate have left on early retirement terms in each of the past 10 years. This is an operational matter for which I am responsible.
There were no such retirements for these staff in each of the past 10 years.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question on professional statisticians who have left on early retirement in each of the last ten years. I am replying on behalf of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), which, prior to April 1997, was the MAFF Directorate of Fisheries Research (DFR).
I can advise you that no professional statisticians have left DFR/CEFAS on early retirement during the period 1989 to 1998.
As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food requesting information on the number of staff who have worked as professional statisticians who have left on early retirement in each of the past ten years, has been passed to me to reply as regards this Executive Agency.
The MHS is responsible for enforcing meat hygiene, inspection, animal welfare and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) legislation in licensed fresh meat premises in Great Britain. The majority of MHS staff are veterinary surgeons or Meat Hygiene Inspectors. The MHS does not have any professional statisticians in its employment.
The Minister has asked me to respond to your question about staff who have worked as professional statisticians in MAFF and have left on early retirement in each of the past ten years.
No professional statisticians have worked at the VLA and took early retirement in the past ten years.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), to your questions concerning professional statisticians.
CSL was established as an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in April 1992. Since that time there have been no professional statisticians who have left the Agency on early retirement grounds.
CSL presently employs one member of staff as a professional statistician, graded at CSL Level 3 (SEO equivalent). This person has not been granted chartered statistician status by the Royal Statistical Society and has not been accepted as fast stream by the Civil Service Selection Board.
The Minister has asked me to respond, in respect of the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA), to your question about the number of staff who have worked as professional statisticians in his Department who have left on early retirement in the past ten years.
FRCA was created as an Executive Agency on 1 April 1997: to date no professional statisticians have been employed by the Agency.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your question concerning the employment of professional statisticians.
Since PSD was formed in 1993, no professional statisticians have been employed in the Agency.
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