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Departmental Accounts
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the methods of depreciation his Department will apply in the current financial year to fixed assets in the preparation of departmental resource accounting balance sheets. [96913]
Dr. Howells:
The method of depreciation of fixed assets used by this Department is to use a calculated rate which will write off the valuation of the asset by equal instalments over its estimated useful life after allowing for any residual value. This method is in accordance with the Treasury's Resource Accounting Manual which is underpinned by Financial Reporting Standard 15, "Tangible Fixed Assets", issued by the Accounting Standard Board.
4 Nov 1999 : Column: 287
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many inquiries his Department has undertaken in relation to the company affairs of Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords within the last 10 years; and how many of these have been published. [97100]
Dr. Howells:
Records are not maintained in a form which could provide the information requested.
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library the minutes of meetings of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council. [97105]
Mr. Caborn:
The Export Guarantees Advisory Council (EGAC) primarily provides advice on the Export Credits Guarantee Department's country risk assessments and cover policy proposals.
The minutes of the EGAC are not published because these assessments contain frank analysis of the political and economic prospects of many of our trading partners, disclosure of which could be market sensitive. Public disclosure of the minutes could also inhibit the frank discussion of the risk assessments and thus reduce the quality of independent advice provided by Members.
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out the procedures the Export Credit Guarantee Department uses when it appoints members of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council. [97103]
Mr. Caborn:
Appointments to the Export Guarantees Advisory Council (EGAC) are made in accordance with guidance laid down by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
A panel comprising the ECGD Chief Executive and two Independent Assessors selects a shortlist of candidates to recommend to my hon. Friend the Minster for Trade. Members appointed provide their time on a voluntary basis and would normally expect to serve a term of three years.
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the occasions since 1 May 1997 when he has asked for advice from the Export Guarantees Advisory Council in respect of matters relating to the operation of the Export Credit Guarantee Department. [97102]
Mr. Caborn:
The Export Guarantees Advisory Council (EGAC) has met 25 times since 1 May 1997. It meets between 9 and 11 times a year to provide advice to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The EGAC is established pursuant to Section 13 of the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991.
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) the instances since 1 May 1997 when members of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council have absented themselves from a meeting because an area in which they have declared an interest is under discussion, (b) the names of the council members concerned and (c) the items under discussion. [97104]
4 Nov 1999 : Column: 288
Mr. Caborn:
Members of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council are obliged to declare any interest which is then noted in the official record of the meeting. They are not required to absent themselves from the meeting when an interest has been declared.
The Council's main role is to consider ECGD's country risk assessments and recommendations--which determine whether ECGD should be on or off cover for particular markets.
Since 1 May 1997, Members have declared an interest on the following occasions:
| Meeting | Name | Item under discussion |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | ||
| March | Mr. G. Lynch | Review of Overseas Investment Insurance (OII) |
| May | Mr. D. Harrison | Turkey |
| 1999 | ||
| May | Mr. P. Mason | Zimbabwe |
| July | Ms L. Airey | Turkey |
| Mr. P. Mason | ||
| September | Mr. D. Harrison | OII--Cover for Portfolio Loans |
Fixed-Term Contracts
Mr. Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce regulation of the use of temporary contracts of employment in the private sector utilities. [97210]
Mr. Alan Johnson: The Government are committed to implementing the Fixed-term work Directive by July 2001. The Directive will ensure that fixed-term contracts are not abused, while retaining labour market flexibility.
Recruitment Industry
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer on 28 October 1999, Official Report, column 935, concerning the calculations of costs arising from changes to the regulations governing care agencies, if he will (a) itemise the reasons his Department does not accept the calculations and (b) publish his own calculations. [97386]
Mr. Alan Johnson: The consultation document published on 31 May contains a regulatory impact assessment of possible cost consequences to those hiring staff through employment bureaux. The figures provided by Mrs. Gifford of Able Community Care contain substantial increases in respect of items, such as basic pay and agency commission, which we do not believe result from the proposals contained in the document.
Supermarkets
Mr. Martlew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive the result of the Competition Commission's investigations into supermarkets in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [97299]
4 Nov 1999 : Column: 289
Dr. Howells:
The Commission is due to report to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by 7 April 2000. If the Commission were to request an extension to the deadline for submitting its report, it would be considered carefully.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Putney (Mr. Colman) of 29 October 1999, Official Report, column 1016, on the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, if he will list the relevant companies and institutions to which he makes reference in respect of safeguards declarations. [97562]
Dr. Howells:
In preparing the voluntary declarations to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Safeguards Office of my Department contacted a total of 165 companies and institutions to determine whether they were performing activities which would need to be reported under the protocol additional to the UK/ Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement following its entry into force. The declarations eventually submitted to the IAEA were based upon information provided by:
Ms Southworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he plans to take to make it easier for British consumers to buy fairly priced cars. [95846]
Dr. Howells:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) at column 275.
Mr. Stephen Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce his decision on Rolls-Royce Power Ventures Ltd's proposal to build a combined heat and power station at Ansty, near Coventry. [97613]
Mrs. Liddell:
I have today granted clearance under Section 14 of the Energy Act 1976 to Rolls-Royce Power Ventures Ltd.'s notification to build a 49 MW gas-fired combined heat and power station at Rolls-Royce's Ansty works. The decision has been taken in accordance with the policy set out in the White Paper entitled "Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and Government response to fourth and fifth Reports of the Trade and Industry Committee" (Cm 4071).
4 Nov 1999 : Column: 290
Decisions on other applications under consideration will be announced in due course.
Copies of the Press Notice and the clearance letter are being placed in the Library of the House.
Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to reply to the communication sent to him by the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East on 8 March, and to the reminder sent on 30 June, about unsolicited mail for his constituent Mr. Loveland. [96483]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 28 October 1999]: My office has received neither of these letters. If the hon. Member would provide me with a copy, I shall ensure he receives an immediate reply.
Urenco Ltd.
AEA Technology plc.
BNFL
British Energy
British Steel Engineering
British Shielding Windows Ltd.
IMI Nuclear Components Ltd.
Health and Safety Executive.
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