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Plutonium Holdings

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the United Kingdom's civil plutonium holdings, indicating details of imports and exports. [104699]

Mrs. Liddell: Figures for the United Kingdom's civil plutonium holdings are published by my Department each year and are placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The most recent were published on 21 June 1999 covering holdings at 31 December 1998.

The publication of these figures is in the format agreed by an informal group of nine countries, as part of the international guidelines on the management of national holdings of civil plutonium. This is a format which facilitates international comparisons on a consistent basis.

Information relating to exports and imports of plutonium is no longer published, but the figures for separated plutonium show both the holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to foreign bodies and the quantity of plutonium belonging to the United Kingdom which is held in locations in other countries as of 31 December each year.

Military Exports

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in respect of each of the countries listed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his

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Gilbert Murray Memorial Lecture on 11 January, he will list the (a) number and (b) aggregate value of (i) ECGD and (ii) other Government-supported credits approved by his Department in respect of exporting British military equipment to each of those countries in each year from 1987 to 1997. [105065]

Mr. Caborn: Of the countries listed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ECGD support for defence-related business has been given only in respect of Kenya.

The number and value of guarantees in support of this business with Kenya are as follows:

1987-88: 1 guarantee valued at £20 million

1988-89: 2 guarantees valued at £43 million.

There are no other Government-supported credits in respect of exports of UK defence-related exports to these countries.

Chrysotile Asbestos

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration has been given in the WTO to extending the market access of Canadian chrysotile asbestos; and what is the United Kingdom's policy on this issue. [104661]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 17 January 2000]: Canada has brought dispute settlement action in the WTO to challenge the French ban on imports and use of chrysotile asbestos. A final report by the WTO Dispute Settlement Panel is expected in May. Since the French ban was introduced, the UK and the EU have conducted further scientific analysis and have also taken action to ban the import of chrysotile asbestos on health grounds. The UK action came into affect on 24 November 1999. The EU requires all member states to have similar action by 1 January 2005. A number of specialised safety-critical uses are temporarily permitted until safe substitutes have been developed.

Company Assistance

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support his Department makes available to manufacturing companies based in non-assisted areas in (a) Chorley and (b) the North West. [105275]

Mr. Caborn: Support for manufacturers is listed at Annex A of the DTI report, "Manufacturing in the Knowledge Driven Economy". This report provides contact details for further information and can be found on the DTI website www.dti.gov.uk/comp/competitive.

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In recent months my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also announced a number of new initiatives which will assist in the creation and development of manufacturing companies: Regional Capital Venture Funds; a Phoenix Fund, the UK High Technology Fund and the Innovative High Growth Start Up Initiative which will be open to companies across the whole of the North West, including Chorley.

In addition, in the New Year my right hon. Friend announced the new Enterprise Grant scheme. This is part of the Government's response to the financing problems of SMEs. It is proposed that this will cover 64 per cent. of the population in the North West.

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British Exports

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for the years (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990, (d) 1995, (e) 1996, (f) 1997, (g) 1998 and (h) 1999 the value of British exports of (i) goods and (ii) traded services to (1) the other 14 present members of the EU and (2) the three members of NAFTA. [105336]

Mr. Caborn: The available information is given in the following table. Consistent figures for 1980 and 1985 are not available. Details for exports of services by partner country are only available annually.

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UK exports of goods and services--balance of payments basis£ million

	1990	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999 (7)
Goods
Austria	694	1,126	1,267	1,157	1,185	945
Belgium-Lux	5,557	8,312	8,538	8,444	8,423	7,377
Denmark	1,390	2,113	2,216	2,089	2,050	1,688
Finland	1,034	1,718	1,818	1,569	1,435	1,111
France	10,762	15,290	17,132	16,581	16,466	13,774
Germany	13,007	20,274	20,761	20,650	20,611	16,654
Greece	672	1,047	1,141	1,046	1,051	911
Ireland	5,224	7,806	8,683	9,347	9,610	8,674
Italy	5,525	7,895	8,043	8,200	8,615	6,348
Netherlands	7,393	12,362	13,516	13,901	13,004	11,190
Portugal	1,016	1,471	1,683	1,750	1,717	1,397
Spain	3,780	6,110	6,738	6,730	7,171	6,242
Sweden	2,669	4,160	4,429	4,444	4,401	3,314
EU	58,723	89,684	95,965	95,908	95,739	79,625
Canada	1,919	1,804	1,970	2,147	2,178	2,132
Mexico	263	277	317	428	544	487
USA	13,042	17,901	19,761	20,901	21,702	20,032
NAFTA	15,224	19,982	22,048	23,476	24,424	22,651

(7) January to October

Note:

EU totals include exports to EU institutions.

Sources:

United Kingdom Balance of Payments, Pink Book, 1999, ONS. Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, ONS

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UK exports of goods and services--balance of payments basis£ million

	1990	1995	1996	1997	1998
Services
Austria	181	341	360	308	322
Belgium-Lux	801	1,440	1,415	1,577	1,722
Denmark	311	504	860	866	946
Finland	186	297	466	389	409
France	1,908	2,656	2,776	2,852	3,312
Germany	2,544	4,007	3,958	4,384	4,228
Greece	329	491	473	552	613
Ireland	853	1,926	2,168	2,255	2,412
Italy	1,096	1,468	1,581	1,687	1,835
Netherlands	1,067	1,775	2,017	2,299	2,535
Portugal	158	305	315	262	321
Spain	731	1,087	1,244	1,179	1,422
Sweden	561	817	907	948	1,078
EU	10,831	17,487	18,685	19,790	21,380
Canada	696	975	940	1,180	1,377
Mexico	102	143	104	145	148
USA	6,873	10,774	12,247	13,866	14,106
NAFTA	7,671	11,892	13,291	15,191	15,631

Note:

EU totals include exports to EU institutions.

Sources:

United Kingdom Balance of Payments, Pink Book, 1999, ONS. Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, ONS.

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EU Regional Funds

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department is taking to ensure that assisted area status grants for the Sussex Coastal Strip are paid promptly by the European Commission. [105216]

Mr. Caborn: Payments of Regional Selective Assistance in the Assisted Areas in England are made by the UK Government.

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding the late payment of assisted area status grants to the Sussex Coastal Strip by the European Commission. [105215]

Mr. Caborn: None.

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission regarding grants awarded for assisted area status for the Sussex Coastal Strip between Shoreham and Newhaven. [105214]

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Mr. Caborn: Discussions with the Commission on the proposals for new Assisted Areas, including the Sussex Coastal Strip between Shoreham and Newhaven, are continuing. We will announce the new map as soon as possible.

Anglo-French Trade Issues

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the Prime Minister of France to discuss trade issues. [104206]

Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry would not normally meet the French Prime Minister to discuss trade issues and consequently has no plans to meet him in the future. My right hon. Friend met his opposite number, the French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry, at the Anglo-French Summit in London in November 1999 and Trade issues were discussed at this meeting. In addition, I met the French Minister for Trade in October 1999 and we are in touch regarding bilateral meetings as and when the need arises.

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