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Alstom
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the management of Alstom. [106676]
Mr. Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry last met the senior management of Alstom on 4 February last year. Officials in my Department are in regular contact with the company.
Power Industry
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the extent of the United Kingdom's capacity for manufacturing related to the power industry. [106675]
Mr. Alan Johnson: The following table gives figures for value added and other relevant data. The statistics cover the products in Standard Industrial Classifications 28.30 (manufacture of steam generators), part of 29.11 (manufacture of turbines and parts thereof), 3.10 (manufacture of electric motors, generators and transformers) and 31.20 (manufacture of electricity distribution and control apparatus). 1997 is the latest year for which complete figures are available.
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross value added at factor cost (£ million) | 3,084 | 2,898 | 2,973 |
| Sales and work done (£ million) | 7,400 | 7,213 | 7,331 |
| Exports (£ million) | 3,542 | 3,998 | 4,388 |
| Imports (£ million) | 3,474 | 3,926 | 4,020 |
| UK market (£ million) | 7,332 | 7,141 | 6,963 |
| Employment (thousand) | 120 | 109 | 106 |
Notes:
1. Gross value added, sales and employment for turbines (as part of SIC29.11) are an estimate only, based on individual product data.
2. Trade data for turbines (as part of 29.11) is calculated on a slightly different basis using individual product data.
Source:
ONS
UK Competitiveness Indicators
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors underlay the conclusions contained in his report, UK Competitiveness Indicators 1999, that United Kingdom consumers show more inertia and are generally less demanding than in other countries with similar income levels; and if he will make a statement. [106520]
Dr. Howells:
Our White Paper "Modern Markets: Confident Consumers" (Cm 4410) sets out how knowledgeable and assertive consumers can spur businesses to compete and innovate, thereby leading to better quality and lower prices. The White Paper contains a series of policies to drive this virtuous circle between consumer demand and business performance. The competitiveness indicators will provide a means of tracking our success vis a vis our leading competitors.
1 Feb 2000 : Column: 533W
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2000, Official Report, columns 487-88W, on nuclear materials, if he will set out, in each of the 20 cases of advance notification, the quantity and type of nuclear material, including its isotopic composition, involved; and if he will indicate for what reason nuclear materials from the unsafeguarded military stockpile were not used for the functions set out. [107267]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 27 January 2000]: As I indicated in my answer on 19 January 2000, Official Report, columns 487-88W, a study bringing together data on these and other withdrawals from safeguards is being conducted. More information on withdrawals from safeguards will be provided later in the year when that study has been completed.
The withdrawals described in my previous answer comprised small quantities of material for use in instrument calibration or radiation detectors, or as analytical tracers or radiological shielding. There are no facilities outside safeguards which manufacture material in such quantities and forms from the military stockpile. Defence establishment requirements for these commercially available specialist materials are currently met by purchase from civil operators.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many permanent withdrawals of nuclear material from safeguards have taken place since the Tripartite UK-Euratom-IAEA Voluntary Safeguards Agreement came into force; and to what purpose material permanently withdrawn was put. [107498]
Dr. Howells:
As I indicated in my answer on 19 January 2000, Official Report, columns 487-88W, a study bringing together data on these and other withdrawals from safeguards is being conducted. I expect to be able to provide more information on withdrawals from safeguards later in the year when that study has been completed.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to initiate negotiations with the European Commission, Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency towards the deletion of Article 14 of the Tripartite Safeguards Agreement of August 1978. [107500]
Dr. Howells:
No. Government policy on future withdrawals of nuclear material from safeguards was described in the White Paper published in July 1998 to announce the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2000, Official Report, column 487W, on nuclear materials safeguards, if he will set out (a) the number of facility attachments, (b) the number of particular safeguards provisions and (c) the material balance areas existing at each of the plants respectively from which nuclear materials were withdrawn from safeguards. [107512]
Dr. Howells:
European Commission particular safeguards provisions (PSPs) exist for the National Physical Laboratory, Nycomed Amersham, and RSL Equipment Ltd., but have yet to be finalised for UKAEA Harwell and Centronics Ltd. None of the plants has been
1 Feb 2000 : Column: 534W
designated by the IAEA for routine safeguards inspection under the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement (INFCIRC/263) and so no facility attachments exist for them. Disclosure of detailed information on nuclear material accountancy arrangements, including on Material Balance Areas (MBAs), would harm national security and would not be in the public interest.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the extent of competition in the UK car insurance market; and if he will make a statement. [107400]
Dr. Howells:
Under UK competition law in the first instance it is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading (DGFT) to investigate allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and possible abuses of a dominant position. I am not aware of any ongoing investigation into the car insurance market by the Office of Fair Trading.
If my hon. Friend has any evidence that competition in the market is not working he should draw it to the attention of the DGFT.
Mr. Burgon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in the last three years, how many bankrupt people who appointed the Official Receiver to act on their behalf as trustee were transferred to a private trustee; and after what periods. [107438]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 28 January 2000]: The number of bankruptcy orders made and the number of cases transferred to Insolvency Practitioners in the years 1997-98, 1998-99 and in the nine months to 31 December 1999 is as follows:
| Period | New cases | Cases transferred |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 | 19,713 | 5,811 |
| 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 | 20,508 | 6,013 |
| 1 April 1999 to 31 December 1999 | 15,812 | 4,838 |
The age of cases transferred is not recorded centrally and could only be ascertained at disproportionate cost. However the great majority of cases are transferred as a result of an Insolvency Practitioner being appointed trustee by the Secretary of State on the application of the Official Receiver. Statistics are maintained centrally regarding the age of cases where such applications are made as to whether they are less than or more than five months old. Those statistics show that there is an almost equal split between the two categories.
Street Lighting
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he will take to ensure that competition in electricity connections for street lighting columns can proceed quickly; and if he will make a statement. [107582]
1 Feb 2000 : Column: 535W
Dr. Howells:
The Director General of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) will shortly be publishing a paper setting out his proposals for increasing competition in electricity connections. This paper will also address the specific issue of developing competition in electricity connections for street lighting columns.
Mr. Rowe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it a requirement for the granting of licences to companies for the laying of cables that they share cable trenches with other companies; and if he will make a statement. [107604]
Ms Hewitt:
There are no plans to introduce a requirement to share trenches within the scope of Telecommunications Act 1984 licences. While trench sharing between two or more operators often occurs, circumstances of timing and routing make this impractical as a requirement. However, the licences currently issued require operators to explore the possibility of using existing ducts or conduits and the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 places a duty on the highway authorities to co-ordinate the execution of works in the highway.
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