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Companies (Political Fundraising)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will seek to reform company law to control the use of companies for fundraising for extremist purposes; [106096]
- (2) if he will investigate possible breaches of company law by Info 2000 Software Ltd; and if he will make a statement; [106094]
(3) if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which a limited company may be used for fundraising for extremist causes; [106093]
(4) if he will seek to amend company law to enable those dealing with companies whose function is fundraising for extremist causes to be aware of the nature of the company with which they are dealing. [106095]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 20 January 2000]: In many cases a company's memorandum of association, delivered for the purposes of incorporation, will disclose the nature
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of its objects. However this is not a statutory requirement and a company's objects are often drafted in general terms and do not in practice restrain the company's activities. In subsequent disclosure on its annual return, a company is required either to give its Standard Industrial Classification code, which indicates its main activities, or to give a verbal description of them. Those companies that are obliged to file a directors' report as part of their annual accounts must include a description of their main activities in that report. All these documents are available for public inspection.
At present, the law requires that companies disclose in the directors' report all donations or subscriptions in excess of £200 to a political party of the United Kingdom. The Political Parties Elections and Referendums Bill, now before the House, will seek to widen the scope of this disclosure requirement by extending it to include all foreign political parties.
If a company and/or those connected with it, are engaged in any criminal activity, they will be subject to the appropriate criminal sanctions. If a company fails to file its annual report or accounts, this can lead to the company being struck off. In relation to the specific company referred to in my hon. Friend's questions, it is currently in default of its filing obligations, and steps are being taken to strike the company off. If the hon. Member has any further specific information it should be sent to my Department, for consideration of what further action, if any, should be taken.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support his Department has given to the Ethical Trading Initiative; and if he will make a statement. [106126]
Mr. Caborn:
My Department, together with the Department for International Development and other interested departments, fully supports the aims of the Ethical Trading Initiative and encourages companies to associate themselves with it. It is an important voluntary sector initiative promoting corporate codes of conduct relating to companies' dealings with overseas suppliers. My Department does not provide direct financial support to the Ethical Trading Initiative, although such assistance is provided by the Department for International Development.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the amount of telephone traffic going via the internet; and if he will make a statement. [106718]
Ms Hewitt:
Current estimates are that no more than 1 per cent. of voice telephony traffic globally is carried over the internet. But an increasing proportion of all telecommunications traffic consists of internet data. According to OFTEL, the UK Telecommunications regulator, the current proportion in the UK is around 25 per cent. of all telecommunications traffic.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the total sum paid out in
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claims authorised by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in 1998-99 was for defence-related exports. [105929]
Mr. Caborn:
21 per cent. of the claims authorised in 1998-99 were in respect of defence-related exports.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's 1998-99 exposure in unrecovered claims is for defence-related exports. [105931]
Mr. Caborn:
8.5 per cent. of unrecovered claims were in respect of defence-related exports.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is concerning the underwriting of defence-related equipment sales to the Governments of (a) Jordan, (b) Kenya, (c) Egypt, (d) Algeria and (e) Nigeria. [105933]
Mr. Caborn:
ECGD, for varying reasons, is not currently underwriting defence-related equipment sales to the Governments of Jordan, Kenya and Algeria. It is unlikely that ECGD support would be available for defence sales to Nigeria. In principle, cover is available for defence sales to Egypt on a case by case basis.
With the exception of Egypt, ECGD has not supported defence business on these markets for some years.
It is a condition of ECGD support for defence business that there should be a valid export licence, if applicable, for the goods involved.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates he has made of the rate of take-up of parental leave if it were (a) paid by employers, (b) paid by the Government and (c) unpaid. [106032]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
In the Regulatory Impact Assessment we produced an estimate that for every 700,000 babies born, 100,000 parents will take unpaid parental leave. We have not produced estimates on the rate of take-up of paid parental leave.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the potential costs of parental leave if it were paid by the Government. [106031]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
We have introduced unpaid parental leave as agreed by the European Social Partners and in line with our commitment in the Fairness at Work White Paper. The Regulatory Impact Assessment makes an estimate of the cost of unpaid parental leave. We have not produced an estimate of the potential costs of paid parental leave.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 6 December, Official Report, column 420W, on the Employment Pact, if it is her Department's assessment that a quantitative evaluation is possible of the practical benefits arising from the European Employment Pact. [105659]
Ms Jowell:
I have been asked to reply.
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The European Employment Pact brought together three processes: the Luxembourg employment process, the Cardiff economic reform process and the new Cologne macro-economic dialogue. It brings fresh impetus to the promotion of long term, sustainable job creation in a climate of stability and growth. The Joint Employment Report assesses progress against the Employment Guidelines and the Cardiff Reports assess the progress of product and capital market reforms. It is too soon to evaluate the benefits of the Cologne process.
11. Mr. McWalter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will address personnel shortages in the Army by retaining larger numbers of TA units than he had previously planned. [104545]
Mr. Spellar:
The restructuring of the Territorial Army following the SDR is making it better able to support the regular Army than before. I therefore have no plans to reverse these changes.
15. Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the role of non-NATO states in the common European defence and security policy. [104549]
Mr. Hoon:
Under arrangements agreed at December's Helsinki European Council, all EU member states will be entitled to participate, on an equal basis, in EU decision making on Common Defence and Security matters. There will be no discrimination between those EU member states who are NATO Allies and those who are not.
16. Mr. Grogan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of Elvington airfield. [104550]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Elvington airfield is surplus and is being sold. My Department has now selected a preferred purchaser and intends to sell the property to Elvington Park Ltd. It is hoped that the sale will be concluded shortly.
17. Mr. Borrow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of Royal Ordnance. [104551]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
As I announced on 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 467W, we have entered into a long term partnering arrangement with Royal Ordnance for the supply of a wide range of ammunition products from Royal Ordnance. The arrangement, which is initially for 10 years, will provide Royal Ordnance with a stable workload worth some £100 million per year. It will provide value for money for the taxpayer by establishing a stable base from which Royal Ordnance can invest and restructure for the future.
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