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Weights and Measures
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about weights and measures. [93428]
Dr. Howells: I have today placed in the Library of the House a report by my Department on the adoption of the International System of Units--the modern version of the metric system. Copies of the report are available from the Vote Office.
Since 1965, successive Administrations have promoted the use of metric weights and measures in order to assist industry to compete in an increasingly metric global market. The debate since 1965 has been about the pace and timing of the change from imperial to metric units for specific purposes.
Metrication is now under way in the United States. Other Commonwealth countries have gone metric. The metric system has been taught in our schools since 1974. Metric units are now used by the public sector for most purposes.
The retail sector has adopted metric weights and measures gradually, for an ever-increasing range of goods. Today, more than 90 per cent. of consumer goods sold by weight or measure are sold in metric units. Under
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legislation made in 1994, goods sold loose by weight--mainly fresh food--must be priced and weighed in grams and kilograms after 31 December 1999.
I am pleased to be able to announce that in response to representations from the Government and others, the European Commission has proposed that non-metric units may be used alongside metric units until 31 December 2009, pending completion of the US metrication programme. This will enable UK manufacturers and retailers, who wish to do so, to dual mark quantity and price in metric and imperial units over the next ten years. Retailers can continue to display the price per imperial unit alongside the price per metric unit. Consumers can continue to express in ounces and pounds the quantity they wish to buy. Retailers will weigh out the equivalent quantity in grams and kilograms.
The supermarket chains, which account for 80 per cent. of sales of loose goods, have started selling loose goods in metric weights. To assist small retailers and their customers with the change, DTI is publishing an information package. Further information and advice is also available from DTI's metric helpline and website.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received the 1998 annual reports of the recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors under Part II of the Companies Act 1989; and if he will make a statement. [93426]
Mr. Byers:
I have received the 1998 annual reports of all the recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors, and have placed copies in the Library of the House. My Department will be discussing the contents of the reports with the bodies as necessary.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties. [92657]
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the ECGD payments rescheduled with Indonesia since 1 May 1997; what was the size of such rescheduling; and whether any payments rescheduled related to exports of defence and security equipment and services. [92231]
Mr. Wilson:
Indonesia's official creditors agreed in September 1998 to reschedule certain sovereign debt payments falling due between 6 August 1998 and 31 March 2000. The debt to be rescheduled relates to principal payments in respect of contracts entered into prior to 1 July 1997. Indonesia continues to maintain interest payments on this debt. ECGD expects to reschedule over 200 separate payments totalling around £260 million over the period, 75 per cent. of which is in respect of defence business.
Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received
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calling for the inclusion of Peterston Super Ely, Dinas Powys and Wemvoe Wards with the Vale of Glamorgan in the Tier 2 (Article 87(3)c) areas in the Government's proposals for new assisted areas. [92793]
Mr. Wills:
Representations from the Vale of Glamorgan Council did not call for the inclusion of these wards.
Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what potential development land exists in the Peterston Super Ely, Dinas Powys and Wemvoe Cyr Wards in the Vale of Glamorgan which might benefit from regional selective assistance. [92795]
Mr. Wills:
This is a matter for the Vale of Glamorgan Council to consider in the context of its Development Plan.
Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he received from the Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Newport county councils on the Government's proposals for new assisted areas. [92794]
Mr. Wills:
My Department received two representations; one from Newport County Borough Council, the other jointly from the City and County of Cardiff Council, Newport County Borough Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria he used to designate the Peterston Super Ely, Dinas Powys and Wemvoe Wards in the Vale of Glamorgan as Tier 2 (Article 87(3)c) areas in the Government's proposals for new assisted areas. [92792]
Mr. Wills:
The criteria are set out in the document, "The Government's proposals for new Assisted Areas". Some wards were included to provide compact contiguous connections to other proposed areas.
Dr. Whitehead:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the report, "Driving Productivity and Growth in the UK Economy", has been brought to his attention. [92034]
Mr. Byers:
The report, "Driving Productivity and Growth in the UK Economy", by the McKinsey Global Institute, was discussed at a set of joint DTI/HM Treasury productivity seminars in the summer and autumn of 1998. Its findings were taken into account in the framing of both the Competitiveness White Paper, "Our Competitive Future: Building the Knowledge Driven Economy", and the 1998 Pre-Budget Report.
Mr. Singh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many appointments to quangos he made between (a) 1 June 1997 and 31 May 1998 and (b) 1 June 1998 and 31 May 1999; and in each case of those how many were members of Britain's (i) Asian and (ii) ethnic minority communities. [92141]
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Mr. Byers:
Data on public appointments are not recorded centrally in the form requested. From the information we do hold centrally the details I can give in response to the request are as follows:
Full details of all the appointments made, including the identity of those appointed and the positions which they hold, are published in the Government's expenditure plans for DTI for both 1997 and 1998. Given the data that are publicly available about appointments it is not possible to disclose information that further breaks down the categories of ethnic minority appointees as to do so risks identifying individuals without their consent. Data on ethnic origin are gathered for monitoring purposes, not for disclosure leading to possible individual identification.
I also refer the hon. Member to the Department's equal opportunities goals as published, following an announcement by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 25 May 1999, Official Report, columns 116-17, in "Quangos: Opening up Public Appointments 1999-2002". This sets out the DTI goals of achieving a year on year increase in the number of people of ethnic minority origin appointed to public bodies rising to 6 per cent. by 2002 (currently 4.4 per cent.) and an increase for the number of women appointees rising to 33 per cent. by 2002 (currently 27 per cent.).
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Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish, before the summer adjournment, the most recent draft of the concordats between his Department and the National Assembly for Wales. [92325]
Mr. Byers:
Work on the concordats is proceeding well. We hope to be in a position to put the concordats to the Assembly Cabinet shortly. It is not our intention to publish the concordats in advance of that.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many individuals his Department has recruited under the New Deal for Young People. [91884]
Mr. Byers:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) on 25 May 1999, Official Report, column 116.
UK Economy"
1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998
The total number of appointments made was 121 of which 4 (3.3 per cent.) were members of ethnic minority communities.
1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999
The total number of appointments made was 214 of which 10 (4.67 per cent.) were members of ethnic minority communities.
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