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Energy Supplies (Millennium)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions Ministers have held regarding the maintenance of energy supplies over the millennium. [89858]
Mr. Wills:
Action is being taken by my Department in co-ordination with the Cabinet Office, Action 2000 and the Regulator to monitor the progress being made by the energy sector to become millennium compliant. I am in regular contact with my colleagues to discuss progress.
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Independent assessment has shown that the energy sector is well advanced in its compliance work and is on course for business as usual over the period of the millennium.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment the Government have made of the millennium computer compliance of systems relating to the (a) Channel Tunnel and (b) supply of electricity from the French power grid. [89855]
Mr. Wills:
The Channel Tunnel has been assessed by the Independent Safety Authority as being 100 per cent. blue in Action 2000 terms--as having no substantive risk of material disruption. There were no significant failures during a full scale test of the systems at the beginning of July. However, the systems will continue to be monitored for compliance and existing contingency planning arrangements will be under constant review over the coming months.
All control systems associated with the Anglo-French electricity Interconnector have successfully met all millennium compliance test criteria. Residual risks to Interconnector operation are currently being assessed and consideration is being given to part loaded operation over the millennium period to minimise the impact of unforeseen events.
The total capacity of the Interconnector is 2x1,000MW circuits; the installed generating capacity in England and Wales is more than 65,000MW, and the typical peak demand over New Year's Eve is likely to be in the order of 37,000MW.
The Government, Regulators and Action 2000 will continue to monitor the arrangements being made by those responsible for the provision of infrastructure services in seeking to ensure that it will be business as usual over the millennium period.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the tendering documents which were sent to those companies wishing to seek export credit assistance in respect of the proposed Ilisu Dam. [90122]
Mr. Wilson:
The Export Credits Guarantee Department does not require companies seeking export credit assistance to produce the tender document issued by the prospective buyer and therefore no copy is available.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria the Export Credits Guarantee Department will apply in relation to the proposed Ilisu Dam. [90124]
Mr. Wilson:
The Export Credits Guarantee Department will employ its normal underwriting criteria, to ensure that the provision of any support which it might give for this project involves an acceptable risk. Part of the underwriting process involves looking, with other Export Credit Agencies, at a range of issues, including the environmental and social aspects of the project. In this case, these include the resettlement of the local population and protection of cultural heritage. ECGD will also consider the economic and political risks involved.
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Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library the terms of reference for the report he has commissioned into the proposed Ilisu Dam. [90123]
Mr. Wilson:
The terms of reference will be placed in the Library along with the report as soon as it is available.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those individuals, organisations, other Governments, other United Kingdom Government Departments and public bodies who are to be consulted (a) during the preparation of the report he has commissioned into the proposed Ilisu Dam and (b) before a decision is made to provide assistance in respect of the Dam under the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991. [90125]
Mr. Wilson:
The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) is consulting other Government Departments including DTI, DFID, FCO, HMT and DETR, both with regard to the preparation of the report and on the provision of support, and has commissioned work from an international environmental consultancy and an independent social development expert. ECGD is also consulting other export credit agencies including the Swiss, American and German agencies. ECGD has discussed with relevant Turkish Government departments and public bodies.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whom he has commissioned to prepare an independent report into the proposed Ilisu Dam; when the report was commissioned; when he expects it to be finished; and how much it will cost. [90126]
Mr. Wilson:
An international environmental consultancy was commissioned to carry out an independent review of the Swiss commissioned Environmental Impact Assessment. Discussions regarding the commissioning of this report commenced in May 1999 and it is expected to be finalised shortly. The estimated cost will be around £5,000.
Additionally, a field study is to be carried out by an independent social development expert to gauge the views of the local population. This report was commissioned in early June 1999. It is hoped that it will be carried out shortly. The estimated cost will be around £20,000.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the effect of current takeover bids in the pub trade on the United Kingdom brewing industry. [89971]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 6 July 1999]: Where a merger qualifies for investigation under the Fair Trading Act 1973, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry decides, in the light of the independent advice of the Director General of Fair Trading, whether or not to refer the merger to the Competition Commission for investigation. All cases are considered on their individual merits.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the growth of tele-conferencing in United Kingdom business; and if he will make a statement. [89929]
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Mr. Wills:
The Department of Trade and Industry's recently published international benchmarking study, "Moving into the Information Age 1999", shows that UK businesses are making increasing use of 'video-conferencing' (usage rose to 22 per cent. from 14 per cent. in the previous year), and lead the G7 countries in this area. No separate figures are collected for telephone conferencing.
The Department is encouraging further use of 'video-conferencing' through its Information Society Initiative, which encourages UK businesses to take better advantage of information and communications technologies to improve their performance.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to help business to implement the Working Time Regulations. [90594]
Mr. Byers:
Today, I wrote to a number of representative groups to consult on two deregulatory amendments to the Working Time Regulations. The proposed amendments draw on our experience of the Regulations being in force for their first year and reflect the concerns that have been raised with us in that period. The proposed amendments will relieve some significant administrative burdens on employers, without removing the protection that the Directive provides to workers. A copy of the consultation letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
Ms Atherton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he and his Department (a) have taken and (b) plan to take to tackle the problem of unsolicited faxes. [90182]
Mr. Wills:
I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 12 May 1999, Official Report, column 149.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) advice and (b) assistance has been provided by his Department to delegations intending to visit Libya. [90099]
Mr. Wilson:
Following the suspension of UN Sanctions in April, the Department has encouraged several private sponsors of trade missions to take forward their plans for taking business delegations to Libya this summer and autumn. However, up until now that encouragement has fallen short of formal endorsement of particular missions or offering financial assistance. Without a functioning Commercial Section in a British Embassy in Tripoli, British Trade International is currently unable to offer the full range of assistance which is usually associated with visits which receive full Government assistance. We are actively pursuing the re-establishment, at the earliest opportunity, of a fully operational commercial section.
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In light of the welcome announcement by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary today, Official Report, columns 1033-43, on WPC Fletcher, I am able to outline the following staged approach to supporting trade promotion with Libya:
British Trade International's desk officer for Libya will travel next week with a trade mission. This will enable us to handle with first hand knowledge business inquiries and a planned programme of presentations and promotional events around the country. British Trade International has already established a WebPage to make available information on Libya as it becomes available.
We have invited sponsor organisations to apply for British Trade International support for trade missions in the period 2000-01. Officials are also discussing with other government departments their own plans for future trade missions and the possibility of Ministerial visits.
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