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Accountancy Regulation
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to provide that accountancy firms criticised in DTI inspectors' reports are required (a) to state that they have understood the criticisms and (b) to demonstrate that they have taken steps to deal with shortcomings. [82646]
Mr. Ian McCartney: No. It would be for the appropriate recognised professional body to consider whether any action needed to be taken by a firm criticised in an inspectors' report. The new framework of regulation for the accountancy profession, which I announced recently, will provide for the independent Investigation and Discipline Board to consider such a case where it raises significant issues of public concern.
Intentional Communities
Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from Leicester Children's Holiday Centre about the interpretation of an intentional community as defined by the National Minimum Wage Act 1998; and if he will make a statement. [83009]
Mr. Ian McCartney: The Low Pay Commission has passed copies of its recent correspondence with the Leicester Children's Holiday Centre (as to whether the Centre might be regarded as an intentional community and thus exempted from the national minimum wage) to my Department.
The Low Pay Commission recommended that members of intentional communities should be regarded as volunteers rather than workers and therefore should not be covered by the minimum wage. The Government accept this recommendation and propose to introduce a suitable amendment to the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 through the Employment Relations Bill which is currently before Parliament.
Officials are considering all representations on this issue. The amendment itself will be drawn as tightly as possible to ensure that only genuine intentional communities are exempted.
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), of 3 February 1999, Official Report, column 622, what intentional organisations
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currently have immunity from export prohibitions under the terms of the Intentional Organisations (Immunities and Privileges) Act 1968. [83025]
Dr. Howells:
Copies of the Orders in Council which confer this immunity are in the Library of the House.
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking on the Low Pay Commission's Review of the National Minimum Wage Accommodation offset, with specific reference to intentional communities. [83010]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
We have accepted the Commission's recommendation that there should be no immediate change to the rate of the accommodation offset in the National Minimum Wage Regulations but that the Commission should monitor the use and impact of the offset and report on its future application in their second report.
The Commission also recommended that members of intentional communities should be regarded as volunteers rather than workers and therefore should not be covered by the minimum wage. The Government accept this recommendation and propose to introduce a suitable amendment to the 1998 Act through the Employment Relations Bill which is currently before Parliament.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what applications his Department has received from Allivane for licences for the export of military equipment to Yugoslavia since 1989. [83287]
Dr. Howells:
Companies House records have confirmed that Allivane Limited was dissolved on 24 March 1987.
Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) of 21 April 1999, Official Report, column 552, which British Aerospace contracts were given EGCD guarantees in 1997-98 in Colombia; and what level of cover was involved. [83282]
Mr. Wilson:
The British Aerospace contract for business in Colombia in 1997-98 is in respect of the UK share (US$23m) of two Airbus A320-200s. ECGD supported 85 per cent. of the UK share.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date he expects the European Union to introduce a banana regime which is in compliance with the ruling of the World Trade Organisation. [83310]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 5 May 1999]: It is unclear how quickly the European Union can amend the banana regime to bring it into compliance with the ruling of the World Trade Organisation. The Council has asked the Commission to provide proposals by the end of May. However, the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament are likely to delay their approval of a new regime until at least September. In the meantime, we are
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pressing the Commission to find an interim arrangement which could be agreed quickly and which would displace US retaliation against EU industries.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate how many British jobs have been put at risk by the trade sanctions of the United States authorised by the Word Trade Organisation. [83311]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 5 May 1999]: In terms of the historical levels of exports to the US in each sector, it is not possible to say what the overall impact on British jobs might be. Much depends on how long the retaliatory measures remain in place, the ability of affected businesses to find alternative customers for their products, the extent to which orders have been brought forward before these measures took effect and local labour market conditions.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library the three single market scoreboards published during the Single Market Action Plan. [83399]
Mr. Wilson:
All three single market scoreboards referred to have already been placed in the Library of the House. The first, second and third editions of the scoreboard can be found under the references SEC(97)2196, SEC(98)889 and SEC(98)1889 respectively.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his contribution to the open debate on the competitiveness of EU industry in the light of globalisation, conducted at the Industry Council on 29 April; and what reports he has received about the reaction of other EU Governments to his contribution. [83740]
Mr. Byers:
My noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe represented the UK at the EU Industry Council held on 29 April.
During the open debate, my noble Friend highlighted what the UK saw as the key themes for the competitiveness of the EU in the face of globalisation. These were the need to improve risk taking and encourage innovation, update the EU patent system, strengthen the Internal Market and improve higher education/industry links. He also commented that to secure progress on all these themes the UK considered that changes in the structure of EU Councils, and of the Commission, were essential to promote greater coherence in decision- making, affecting competitiveness.
These ideas were echoed in many other Ministers' interventions during the debate and were reflected in the Chairman's summing up.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department and the ECGD have
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taken to investigate the matters highlighted in the independent study of the Ilisu Dam project commissioned by the Swiss Government. [82712]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 10 May 1999]: ECGD are involved in continuing discussions with other Export Credit Agencies, the commercial parties and the authors of the Reports about these matters. They are also consulting experts in the UK.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the environmental impact assessment produced in 1998 in connection with the Ilisu Dam project in Turkey, (b) the independent study subsequently commissioned in respect of the project by the Swiss Government, (c) the minutes of the meetings of the Export Credits Guarantee Department at which the environmental and social impact of the project was discussed and (d) the current procedures of the Export Credits Guarantee Department for assessing the environmental impact of projects it supports, and for raising awareness of these issues among its customers. [82711]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 10 May 1999]: The Environmental Impact Assessment Report and the independent study commissioned by the Swiss government in respect of the Ilisu project in Turkey are not our documents and can be made available only with the consent of the owners. I understand that it is the intention to make available the Environmental Impact Assessment Report once the contract has been awarded, and I will ensure that a copy is placed in the Library of the House. Minutes of ECGD meetings are not disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
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