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HOUSE OF COMMONS
HOC Commission Meetings
Angela Smith: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission met in the last 12 months; when it next will meet; and if he will publish the minutes of the Commission's meetings. [112024]
Mr. Kirkwood: During the last 12 months, the Commission has met on:
- 1999
- 15 March
- 17 May
- 28 June
- 5 July
- 12 July
- 19 July
- 4 November
- 6 December
- 13 December
- 2000
- 21 February
The next meeting is on 6 March 2000. It is not the practice of the Commission to publish its Minutes, but it is considering ways of improving the distribution of information about relevant decisions to Members.
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Ilisu Dam
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what provisions of the UN Convention on the non-navigational uses of trans-boundary waterways have implications for his consideration of ECGD support for the Ilisu dam. [111697]
Mr. Caborn: The provisions of the Convention as a whole are relevant to our consideration of ECGD support for the Ilisu dam. The UN Convention has yet to enter into force. However, the UK supports the principles of the Convention and intends to sign and ratify in due course. We encourage all countries to abide by the principles of the Convention, as we do.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in his consideration of projects seeking ECGD support, for what reasons he seeks the views of the Department for International Development; and if he will make a statement on this matter in connection with the Ilisu dam. [111696]
Mr. Caborn: ECGD seeks the views of DFID and other interested Whitehall Departments (including FCO, DTI and DETR) as appropriate when considering applications for export credits cover. This is in order to ensure consistency of policies, for example the White Paper on International Development makes it clear that the full range of the Government's policies affecting developing countries, including environment, trade, investment and agricultural policies should take account of its sustainable development objectives.
The consultation between ECGD and the Department for International Development (DFID) is carried out in a number of ways. DFID is a member of the Export Guarantees Committee and in this capacity sees high value applications for ECGD support in certain markets as a matter of course. DFID are also involved in assessing the productive expenditure implications of all applications for ECGD support for business in Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and countries who are eligible to borrow from the World Bank on International Development Association terms.
With regard to the Ilisu project, at the beginning of last year DFID provided advice on the environment and resettlement aspects of the project and how these concerns could be addressed. Since the commissioning of the studies on these issues, DFID's involvement has declined significantly, as Turkey is not one of their key development partners.
Mr. Worthington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has asked the World bank for its assessment of the merits of the Ilisu dam. [111698]
Mr. Caborn:
No. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not asked because at this point in time the World bank has not been asked for its opinion of the project by the Turkish authorities.
Mr. Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employers have been reported by
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minimum wage inspectors for paying less than the national minimum wage in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom, broken down by size of firm. [111436]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The following data refer to all complaint cases passed to the network compliance teams by the minimum wage helpline for inspection and subsequently closed at the end of January 2000. Data on information where non-compliance was detected by minimum wage inspectors in the course of their targeted inspection visits will not be available until late March. I will write to my hon. Friend when that information becomes available.
| Number of employees | Scotland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 58 | 692 |
| 11-100 | 71 | 635 |
| 100+ | 13 | 220 |
| Total | 142 | 1,547 |
Arms Brokering
Mr. Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) in relation to the conduct of arms brokering from the United Kingdom, what research his Department has (a) carried out and (b) commissioned to ascertain (i) what countries are buying arms by such arrangements, (ii) how much business is transacted with each country and (iii) if the countries involved are on the UN embargo list; [111420]
- (2) what the Government's policy is on controlling the conduct of arms brokering from the United Kingdom; [111432]
(3) what assessment the Government have made of the number of (a) UK nationals and (b) non-UK nationals who are involved in conducting arms brokering from the UK. [111418]
Dr. Howells: The Government already have powers to control trafficking and brokering under the United Nations Act 1946 where this is necessary to implement a binding UN Resolution. Additionally, under the European Communities Act 1972 the Government have the power to provide for enforcement of a Council Regulation prohibiting trafficking and brokering of specified goods, e.g. dual use goods where there is Community competence. However, competence to prohibit trafficking and brokering of arms or military equipment lies with the member states.
The Government's White Paper on Strategic Export Controls, published in July 1998 (Cm 3989), proposed new legislation to extend the Government's power to control trafficking and brokering in several areas, including with respect to the supply of military equipment and other controlled goods to destinations subject to any form of embargo and the supply of equipment the export from the UK of which has been banned because of evidence that goods of the same type have been used in torture.
The Government are reviewing the White Paper proposals in the light of comments received. In the course of this review, we are examining the information available from both public sources and internal Government sources
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about trafficking and brokering activities conducted in the UK or by UK nationals abroad, and this is being taken into account in the review. The Government have not commissioned external research on this issue. We will announce proposals for new export control legislation in due course, following conclusion of the review of the White Paper proposals in the light of the responses received.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to allow (a) Limited Liability Partnerships and (b) their (i) partners and (ii) shareholders to hold shares in companies to which they are supplying services. [111348]
Dr. Howells:
Restrictions on the holding by a service provider of shares in a client company relate to the nature of the service rather than to the type of entity through which the service is delivered. In other words, the general rule would be that any such restrictions placed by statute or by a regulator on a company or a partnership would apply equally to a Limited Liability Partnership.
For example, the conditions applying to the appointment of auditors operating as LLPs will be governed by the Companies Act 1989 (which will be applied to LLPs by regulation) and by the byelaws and ethical guidelines of the appropriate supervisory body. These byelaws preclude an audit firm--and this would include LLPs--from reporting on any company in which it or any partner has a beneficial investment.
An LLP will not have shareholders.
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the (a) assets and (b) liabilities of the former British Coal Pension schemes; [111089]
Mrs. Liddell:
These are matters for the Trustees of the coal pension schemes. I have asked them to write to my hon. Friend direct.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive the Competition Commission's report on competition in the supermarket sector; and if he will make a statement. [111383]
Dr. Howells:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 21 February that the deadline for the Competition Commission to complete its report on the supply of groceries from supermarkets has been extended from 7 April to 31 July. The Commission advised that more time was needed to complete the inquiry.
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(2) if he will list the number of former mineworkers aged (a) 40 to 50, (b) 50 to 60, (c) 60 to 70, (d) 70 to 80 and (e) over 80 years who are in receipt of pensions from the former British Coal Pension schemes. [111088]
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