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Lome Convention
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the impact of WTO rules on the workings of the Lome Convention. [107468]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 2 February 2000]: The Government are aware that the tariff preferences available under the Lome Convention are incompatible with the rules of the WTO in so far as they discriminate between developing countries and thus require a waiver from GATT Article I. The current waiver expires in February 2000 along with the Convention itself and will have to be renewed by agreement with other WTO member governments for the preferences to continue. We strongly support the WTO, which is why we argued for a new, WTO-compatible approach to EU trade relations with Lome countries after the current Convention expires.
Both the EU and our Lome partners have agreed in principle with this approach, which will enter into force after a transitional period of eight years, during which time the current trade arrangements will be rolled over, and a new WTO waiver sought for this rollover period. The Government believe that this approach will give Lome countries the best chance of integrating more fully into the multilateral trading system, thereby promoting their sustainable development and contributing to poverty eradication.
Meat Imports
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the volume of imports of (a) beef and beef products and (b) lamb and lamb products in each year since 1995. [107134]
Ms Quin: I have been asked to reply.
(3) Product weight
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Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal was imported from Mozambique in the past three years; what the transport arrangements are for coal supplied by Mozambique; and if he will make a statement. [107920]
Mrs. Liddell:
Figures for 1999 as a whole are not yet available, but in the first three quarters of 1999 it is estimated that 19,000 tonnes of coal were imported into the United Kingdom from Mozambique. Prior to 1999, this information was not disclosed because the data were commercially sensitive. Customs and Excise has a duty not to disclose details relating specifically to an individual trader's activity. Information is not collected on the mode of transport used for imported coal.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 208W, if he will list the reasons for the timing of his written answer informing the House of the outcome of the Hollis Inquiry. [108392]
Mr. Byers:
It was a written question which I replied to as soon as possible.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those companies which are under investigation by officials into allegations of misuse of Government grants which were subsidiaries of (a) TransTec plc and (b) Hollis Industries. [108390]
Mr. Byers:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to her on 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 206W.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if inspectors investigating TransTec plc will issue an interim report. [108388]
Mr. Byers:
These are independent inspectors. They can issue an interim report if they wish.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will revise the guidance he has given to inspectors investigating TransTec plc to include allegations of misuse of his Department's grants awarded to TransTec and its subsidiary companies. [108386]
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Mr. Byers:
There is no need to do to so as they already have such a power.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the procedures being followed by his officials investigating allegations of misuse of Government grants awarded to TransTec plc and its subsidiaries. [108389]
Mr. Byers:
The Department's inquiries are aimed at establishing the nature and extent of the allegations and the further action that should be taken in relation to those allegations.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 205W, what action he plans to take as a result of departmental interviews with Mr. Ayriss and Mr. Dickinson. [108394]
Mr. Byers:
The Department's inquiries are still in progress.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will revise the guidance he has given to inspectors investigating TransTec plc to include the reorganisation of the company in 1991. [108387]
Mr. Byers:
As I have already stated on 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 208W, if the independent inspectors conclude that there are matters earlier in the company's history which merit investigation then they have the power to do so.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 206W, if he will list the minuted meetings held by his Department and representatives of TransTec plc in (a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997, (d) 1998 and (e) 1999. [108393]
Mr. Byers:
The Company Law and Investigations Directorate has had no minuted meetings with representatives of TransTec.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Government Press releases his Department issued in each year from 1995 to 1999. [106561]
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Mr. Byers:
The number of Press releases issued by the DTI were:
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer the Construction Industry Scheme arrangements and their impact on the construction plant hire industry to the Director General of Fair Trading. [104891]
Dawn Primarolo:
I have been asked to reply.
The Inland Revenue is aware of the concerns of the construction plant hire industry about the Construction Industry Scheme. The Office of Fair Trading has brought
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the issue of alleged unfairness to the attention of the Inland Revenue. The Inland Revenue is continuing to consult with representative bodies about areas of the scheme which are causing difficulties. The Office has advised the Revenue that they will not be investigating the matter further.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes will be made to the departmental expenditure limit running costs limit for her Department in 1999-2000. [108706]
Mr. Foulkes:
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, for Class VIII, Vote 1: Department for International Development, the Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999-2000 will be increased by £213,528,000 from £2,297,090,000 to £2,510,618,000. This increase is the net effect of:
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1995: 908
1996: 973
1997: 877
1998: 1,064
1999: 1,063.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Take up of end of year flexibility in respect of an underspend against EC attributed aid | 105,878,000 |
| Increase in respect of humanitarian assistance to Kosovo | 58,000,000 |
| Increase in respect of humanitarian assistance to East Timor | 3,250,000 |
| Increase in respect of payments under the Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund | 13,100,000 |
| Increase in respect of contributions to the IMF trust fund for HIPC countries | 33,300,000 |
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