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Ilisu Dam
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2000, Official Report, column 31W, on the Ilisu Dam, if the representations from (a) the Syrian Ambassador and (b) the League of Arab States were (i) in favour and (ii) against the proposed dam. [105081]
Mr. Caborn: The Syrian Ambassador expressed concern that proper account had not been taken of the impact of the project on the Syrian economy, people and relations with Turkey or of legal obligations, and stressed the general sensitivity of water issues in the region.
The League of Arab States expressed concern at the lack of information and consultation on the project.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to make a decision on ECGD support for UK participation in the Ilisu Dam project. [104897]
Mr. Caborn:
The application for ECGD support for the UK participation in the Ilisu Dam project has given rise to a number of social, political, environmental and cultural issues requiring further consideration between ECGD, the other export credit agencies involved, the Turkish authorities and the contractors. We will only agree support if these issues are addressed to our satisfaction. In any event no decision on support will be made until a revised Environmental Impact Assessment has been produced. This is expected in late March or April.
Mrs. Ann Cryer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104019]
Mr. Byers:
In April 1999 the numbers of men and women employed in DTI Headquarters by age group were as follows:
| Age | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-19 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 20-24 | 36 | 41 | 77 |
| 25-29 | 204 | 247 | 451 |
| 30-34 | 414 | 450 | 864 |
| 35-39 | 486 | 356 | 842 |
| 40-44 | 389 | 243 | 632 |
| 45-49 | 405 | 203 | 608 |
| 50+ | 658 | 296 | 954 |
| Total | 2,593 | 1,841 | 4,434 |
17 Jan 2000 : Column: 257W
The Department's personnel database was set up in 1985 and does not include data on staff who left the Department before that date; full data on the age profile of staff in 1979 is not therefore available. However, the annual publication, "Civil Service Statistics", provides a departmental breakdown of staff by gender and Service-wide data by age for that year. In addition the Equal Opportunities Data Summary 1998 provides average age by responsibility level and gender across the Service.
The figures exclude DTI staff in Government Offices and the DTI's Executive Agencies who have delegated responsibility for personnel issues.
Ms Drown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the Government's assessment of the outcome of the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, including the conclusions it has drawn concerning future trade negotiations. [104358]
Mr. Caborn:
An assessment of the outcome of the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations was published in May 1994 by the Government in a White Paper, "The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations 1986-94" (Cm 2579). In relation to future trade negotiations, the Government published a consultation paper in May 1999 entitled "The UK and the World Trade Organisation: An Introduction to the Next Round" (DTI/Pub4140/5k/5/99/NP. URN 99/875). Both documents are available in the Libraries of both Houses. The Government's position in supporting the launch of a comprehensive Round of trade negotiations has been discussed in Parliament, most recently in the debate in European Standing Committee C on 22 November 1999. The Government's position is well reflected in the position of the EU and its support for the launch of a comprehensive Round remains strong since the failure of the Seattle Conference, as the Secretary of State said in the debate in the House on 9 December 1999, Official Report, columns 1022-94.
Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees of his Department took early retirement packages, and at what total cost, in the financial year 1996-97. [104099]
Mr. Byers:
Two hundred and twenty seven employees took early retirement packages at a cost of some £1.4 million in the financial year 1996-97. This represents 20 per cent. of the costs, the other 80 per cent. being met by the Treasury under the 80:20 Scheme in force at the time.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was allocated from the social and
17 Jan 2000 : Column: 258W
regional funds of the European Union to the United Kingdom during the 1999 financial year; what was the value of match funding from United Kingdom sources; and from what sources these match funds were derived. [105124]
Mr. Caborn:
Allocations from the European Union's Structural Funds relate to multiannual programmes. Expenditure must be committed within the programme period, but may be spent up to two years after the end of the period. There are therefore no allocations for specific years, and expenditure during 1999 would be in the context of programmes approved during the 1994-99 financing period with expenditure allowed until the end of 2001.
The level of match funding varies from programme to programme. The sources of match funding will depend on the nature of the many individual projects. It is the responsibility of applicants for funding to identify the sources of match funding for their projects. Programme secretariats can advise on this. There are many potential sources, e.g. central government, local authorities, the voluntary and private sectors. No central records exist of the sources of match funding used for individual projects.
Dr. Palmer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is the Government's policy to support the expansion of the World Trade Organisation's remit to cover negotiations on (a) investment, (b) Government procurement and (c) guidelines for the behaviour of multinational enterprises. [105062]
Mr. Caborn:
It remains Government policy to support a comprehensive round of negotiations in the WTO, including investment and government procurement. The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are currently under review in the OECD with particular focus on their more effective implementation and wider dissemination. We believe that the review of the Guidelines will make them of greater relevance and use for business, other organisations and governments alike.
Dr. Palmer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals his Department has in respect of the World Trade Organisation to enable multilateral trade agreements to work in concert with multilateral environmental agreements. [105060]
Mr. Caborn:
At the recent WTO Ministerial conference in Seattle, the UK and the EU pressed for a new Round of trade negotiations to include a clarification of the relationship between WTO rules and trade measures taken within multilateral environmental agreements. The Seattle conference was suspended without agreement on the terms for a new Round, but we continue to press for this subject to be included in future WTO negotiations.
Mr. Rammell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what applications for (a) grant or (b) other financial support he has received for a glass factory to be operated in the north west of England by Quinn Glass. [104767]
17 Jan 2000 : Column: 259W
Mr. Alan Johnson:
Any applications are commercially confidential, it is therefore not possible for me to provide this information.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the relevant Swiss electricity company and the Swiss nuclear regulatory authorities in respect of problems discovered with MOX plutonium fuel exported to Switzerland from Sellafield. [104698]
Mrs. Liddell:
None. This is a matter for the companies and the national regulatory authorities concerned.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 16 December 1999, Official Report, column 235W, on plutonium fuel, if he is in a position to make public the details of the remedial measures being put in place to rectify safety management problems in MOX nuclear fuel manufacture at Sellafield; and what further meetings he has had with the HSE (N11) on this matter since 1 December 1999. [104726]
Mrs. Liddell:
The work to address the issues associated with the falsification of quality assurance data at BNFL's MOX Demonstration Facility at Sellafield is still continuing. As I made clear in my reply of 16 December 1999, Official Report, column 235W, I have asked the company to make public details of the remedial measures being taken as soon as possible, consistent with the need to address these matters thoroughly and to satisfy the HSE fully as to the adequacy of the company's proposals. On 15 December 1999, I received a briefing from HSE's Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations on progress with HSE's independent investigation into this matter. I understand HSE intend to publish a report on their findings next month.
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