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Oath of Allegiance
Mr. Field: To ask the Prime Minister how many letters he has received since 1 May 1997 on (a) constituency matters and (b) other matters of Government policy from each of those Members of the House who have not taken the Oath of Allegiance. [108961]
The Prime Minister:
In accordance with convention, correspondence received by Departments from hon. Members is treated in confidence.
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Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 17 January 2000, Official Report, columns 267-68W, concerning the drafting of the draft Charter of Fundamental Rights in the European Union, if he will (a) place in the Library a copy of the letter he has sent to the two Chairmen of the Scrutiny Committees and (b) publish in the Official Report the names of organisations with which meetings have taken place, or correspondence has been conducted, and place copies of the correspondence in the Library. [108732]
The Prime Minister:
A copy of the letters from the Minister of State for Europe in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) to the Scrutiny Committees have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The Government will continue to have meetings with a wide range of individuals and organisations. These exchanges will be made public where appropriate.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the Government's response to (a) the proposals made by the Commission for the forthcoming intergovernmental conference and (b) documents submitted for that Conference by the European Union Institutions, member states and candidate states. [108734]
The Prime Minister:
The Government's position on all the issues likely to be raised at the intergovernmental conference will be set out in a White Paper to be published shortly.
Mr. Ottaway:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answers of 20 January 2000, Official Report, column 538W, and 1 February 2000, Official Report, column 544W, if he will place a synopsis of Mr. Liddle's speech in the Library. [108817]
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost to public funds of his attendance at the World Economic Forum at Davos. [108228]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 4 February 2000]: Not all bills have been received. However, the total cost to public funds of my attendance at the World Economic Forum is likely to be approximately £9,900.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list which Ministers of the Governments of (a) Austria, (b) Belgium, (c) Denmark, (d) Finland, (e) France, (f) Germany, (g) Greece, (h) Ireland, (i) Italy, (j) Luxembourg, (k) the Netherlands, (l) Portugal, (m) Spain and (n) Sweden he has met since 1 August 1999 and the date on which he met them. [108867]
The Prime Minister:
I have met all EU Heads of State and some Ministers in multilateral fora since August. I have also held official discussions with the Prime Minister of Belgium on 30 November, the Prime Minister of
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Finland on 6 October and 30 November, the Greek Minister for Development on 13 December, the Prime Minister of Italy on 20 November and the Prime Minister of Portugal on 29 November and 6 January. I also met the French President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister for Europe at the UK/French Summit on 25 November. There have been numerous meetings with the Taoiseach of Ireland in multilateral and bilateral fora. Most recently I had substantive discussions with him on 17 December and 3 February.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the status of Japanese contracts with the new Sellafield MOX plant. [106713]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 2 February 2000]: Details of BNFL's contracts with their customers for the Sellafield MOX Plant are commercially confidential. BNFL will continue to pursue Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel business in Japan, where the company is making major efforts to rebuild confidence.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if export credit for vessels designed for protection of a nation's maritime boundaries is treated by the Export Credits Guarantee Department as unproductive expenditure within the meaning used to define those credits which the Department refuses to guarantee. [108480]
Mr. Caborn:
As the hon. Member knows, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 11 January a unilateral UK ban on export credits in respect of "unproductive expenditure" to 63 of the world's poorest countries.
Projects supported in future on these countries should be measured against the following indicative criteria:
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact on jobs in the electricity industry of the cap on electricity distribution prices by the regulator; and if he will make a statement. [108975]
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Mrs. Liddell:
Decisions on the form and level of electricity price controls are a matter for the Director General of Gas and Electricity Markets. It is for the companies to decide how to meet the efficiency targets they have been set.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to encourage British trade development and promotion abroad. [108507]
Mr. Caborn:
I want an ever-growing number of firms to benefit from British Trade International, the new unified operation, which brings together DTI and FCO responsibilities for trade development and promotion. Support for exporters is part of the Government's programme, with business, to improve Britain's competitiveness. The National Strategy for International Trade Development and Promotion, published on 29 October 1999, demonstrates the exciting direction in which the new organisation is moving.
Copies of the Strategy have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received from the paper industry about the consequences of the recent strength of the pound. [108230]
Government clearly understand the concerns of businesses, particularly manufacturers in the paper industry and elsewhere trading within Europe, about the level of the pound. But we are determined to take a long-term view; it would be wrong to let short-term pressures lead back to policies which produced boom and bust in the past. Short-term fixes would be the biggest threat of all to industry, creating the illusion of temporary relief followed by the reality of long-term damage. The Government's economic policies are aimed at achieving sustained growth.
Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to publish draft guidance under Clauses 9, 13 and 90 of the Utilities Bill. [109176]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Government have today published preliminary drafts of the social and environmental guidance to the energy and telecoms regulators provided for under Clauses 9, 13 and 90 of the Utilities Bill. Copies of these drafts have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many letters he has received since 1 May 1997 on (a) constituency matters and (b) other matters of Government policy from each of those Members of the House who have not taken the Oath of Allegiance. [108397]
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Mr. Byers
[holding answer 3 February 2000]: Correspondence with Members of the House is treated in confidence unless the originating Member chooses to make it public.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of (a) the cost per ton and (b) the total cost of supply in coal to retired miners from the cheapest foreign source. [107949]
Mrs. Liddell:
I have not made such an estimate because I do not expect retired miners to be supplied with imported coal.
assist social and economic development; or
These principles need not necessarily preclude ECGD support for the sale of defence or dual purpose equipment provided that such equipment is, for example, deemed essential for national security, or required to combat the drugs trade, piracy, smuggling etc. Support for projects must be cleared with the Department for International Development, who must be satisfied that the expenditure is consistent with the above.
be of maximum benefit to areas most affected by poverty; or
tackle problem areas where private investment is not available; or
wherever possible, earn foreign exchange; or
encourage viable self-financing projects.
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