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Limited Liability Partnerships
Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made on the introduction of Limited Liability Partnerships legislation. [93794]
Mr. Ian McCartney: The Government are fully committed to introduction of the Limited Liability Partnerships Bill as soon as possible. I am aware that the professional business community are keen to see progress on this, and I can assure them that the Bill will be introduced as soon as the Parliamentary timetable permits. To assist business, and to enable them to see the Bill as we expect it to come before the House, we will publish it in draft for a second time shortly, alongside revised draft regulations, which are being published to show changes made as a result of consultation last September.
Riot Control Equipment
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his reply on 19 April 1999, Official Report, column 456, what measures have been instigated
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by his Department to ensure that they provide accurate information about the export of tear gas and other riot control equipment. [93522]
Dr. Howells:
As noted in my earlier answer, the export of tear gas is controlled under a variety of entries in the legislation, depending whether it is bulk tear gas or tear gas incorporated in any of a range of possible devices. The term riot control equipment could describe a wide range of items and, as noted in the answer of 23 March 1998, Official Report, column 76, to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett), several of the entries in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order (the so-called Military List) might be capable of playing some role in riot control.
In her answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870-71, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) explained that, because of the problems that had been identified with the Export Control Organisation's databases, all information relying on data derived from those databases and given in response to Parliamentary Questions or in correspondence should be read in conjunction with a caveat set out in her answer.
However, the information on export licensing decisions between 2 May and 31 December 1997 set out in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, which includes a summary description of all military equipment licensed for export during this period as well as the ratings of the goods concerned, is not subject to the caveat set out in my hon. Friend's answer of 30 October 1997, notwithstanding that it relied on data obtained from the Export Control Organisation's databases. On the contrary, as stated in the Annual Report, the information
Finally, I should note that the information on physical exports of military equipment from the UK included in the Annual Report was in part supplied by HM Customs and Excise and in part based on information provided for the UK's contribution to the UN Arms Register; the Export Control Organisation does not compile records of licensed exports.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if export licences are required for handcuffs. [93523]
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Dr. Howells:
The export to any destination of leg-irons, gangchains and shackles, specially designed for restraining human beings, excluding handcuffs the maximum overall dimension of which when locked does not exceed 240mm, are controlled under entry PL5001 in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended.
In accordance with their policy requirements, as determined by them, applications for a licence to export handcuffs controlled under this entry are circulated to the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for advice in light of the Foreign Secretary's announcement on 28 July 1997, Official Report, columns 65-66.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department has with UK arms companies prior to the establishment of licensed production agreements between UK companies and arms manufacturers overseas. [93521]
Dr. Howells:
Production equipment and technology, components and sub-assemblies whose export from the UK is subject to control are set out under a range of headings in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended, and the Dual-Use and Related Goods (Export Control) Regulations 1996, as amended, and Council Decision 94/942/CFSP, as amended (which has effect through Council Regulation (EC) 3381/94). While a valid export licence is needed for the export of controlled goods or technology, exporters are not required to obtain one before they conclude an agreement for production overseas.
I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) by the Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry on 12 January 1999, Official Report, column 150.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is regarding regional selective assistance in the areas of highest unemployment in the North-West. [92861]
Mr. Wills:
Regional selective assistance is available for eligible projects in both the development and intermediate areas of the North-West region. Support for projects will in future reflect the priorities in RDA regional economic strategies.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the members of the North West Industrial Development Advisory Committee in January 1992 and the dates of their appointment. [92860]
Mr. Wills:
The members of the North West Development Board in January 1992 and the dates of their appointment are as follows:
"may be treated as definitive subject to the constraint that there is always a risk of human error in the compilation of such a large body of data".
Furthermore, as noted in my hon. Friend's answer of 30 October 1997, among the steps taken to improve the situation she described was the decision to develop a new database for recording information about standard individual export licences. This database became operational on 1 March 1999 and will be used to supply information for future Reports. Because the database allows for information to be accepted and transferred electronically, it will be easier for exporters to submit their licence applications and it will greatly enhance the integrity of the data, although human error can never be eliminated altogether.
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Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the members of the North West Regional Industrial Development Board. [92859]
Mr. Wills: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave previously on 14 July 1999, Official Report, columns 211-12.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will review the workings of the Industrial Development Act 1982 in relation to the management by civil servants and the treatment by regional development advisory committees of applications for regional selective assistance. [92807]
Mr. Wills: I have no plans to review the workings of the Industrial Development Act 1982 in this respect.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 14 July 1999, Official Report, columns 212-13, what the circumstances were on the occasion when a decision taken by the North West Industrial Development Board was amended by the Secretary of State under the Industrial Development Act 1982. [92862]
Mr. Wills: In the case in question, the Board gave their support to a recommendation from officials regarding the amount of grant that should be offered. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State subsequently decided a higher offer was necessary to secure the project.
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 14 July 1999, Official Report, column 212-13, if he will make it his Department's practice to continue contacts and routinely record data and subsequent developments in the case of companies where rejection of applications for regional selective assistance have led to the cancellation of proposed investment projects. [92806]
Mr. Wills: I have no such plans. This is not always practicable and would increase the costs of administering the scheme.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if members of industrial development advisory committees are permitted to speak to hon. Members prior to the consideration of applications for regional selective assistance. [92858]
Mr. Wills:
There are no restrictions on members of the Industrial Development Advisory Board and the Regional Industrial Development Boards which would prohibit them from speaking to hon. Members. As an application for regional selective assistance is a commercially confidential matter, it would be inappropriate for board members to comment on particular company applications.
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