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Internet
13. Mr. Ian Bruce (South Dorset): What measures he is taking to encourage greater use of the internet. [111544]
The Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce (Ms Patricia Hewitt): We are driving through competition, to get internet access prices down; we are helping small businesses get the advice and training they need; and we are connecting schools, libraries and community centres to the internet.
Mr. Bruce: I am surprised that the Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce does not know that the Government are not responsible for any of those things. What the Government do know is that they are responsible for the Electronic Communications Bill, and I have congratulated the Department of Trade and Industry on taking out the worst parts of that Bill. Is the hon. Lady aware that her colleagues in the Home Office are busily reinforcing in spades those very developments which will help close down our internet access? Is she also aware that her colleagues in the Committee considering the Utilities Bill said this morning that they are taking out all its telecommunications regulation, and that in this Parliament we shall not end up with any revision of such regulation, which is probably going over to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport? No doubt water is going to the Department of the Environment, Transport--
Madam Speaker: Order. I ask the hon. Gentleman to put his question.
Mr. Bruce: Is not the Minister going to resign, because she has nothing left to do?
Fiona Mactaggart (Slough): Is my hon. Friend aware that to date the United Kingdom has been a very positive environment for e-commerce, but will she look at consumer issues related to e-commerce and proper protection of consumers against concealed information being taken from their computers when they are using the net and buying things over it?
Ms Hewitt: I recently launched Trust UK, a system of hallmarks for accredited codes of practice, which will enable consumers buying from accredited British websites to know that they are dealing with reputable organisations and that they can deal confidently. I am hopeful that we can get a similar set-up at the European level in order to give consumers the trust and confidence they need in electronic commerce.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
14. Mr. Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): What discussions he has had with other departments on the review of the remit of the Export Credits Guarantee Department. [111545]
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Stephen Byers): I asked Cabinet colleagues to advise me of issues that they wished to see covered by the review of ECGD's mission and status, and this was reflected in the terms of reference for the review.
In addition, I shall discuss the recommendations of the review team with colleagues.
Mr. Howarth:
I hope that the Secretary of State will acknowledge the extremely important part played in British industry by defence exports. Britain is the second largest exporter of military goods in the world, and this enables us not only to help our friends, but to ensure that we have economies of scale in the production of defence equipment for our own forces.
Can the Minister assure me that ECGD support will continue to be available to major British companies such as BAe Systems, and that there will be no plans for the Government to curtail exports as the Chancellor of the Exchequer has sought to in respect of 63 countries, only one of which has been a beneficiary of ECGD support for defence exports in the past 12 years?
Mr. Byers:
The ECGD's role is very important to many major exporters in the United Kingdom, including the defence industry. I think the hon. Gentleman will find when we announce the outcomes of the review that the defence industry will, where appropriate, continue to receive export credits as it does now.
It is always a question of striking the right balance. I believe that when we present our proposals in the light of the review, the right balance will be struck--a balance that recognises the importance of the export licensing regime, which is entirely different from the export credits
guarantee regime. The two should not be married. In my view, export credits have a distinct role to play, and they will continue to do so.
We need to change the system to reflect the needs of particular sectors. I do not think that the small and medium-sized enterprise sector uses export credits as much as it might, but I do not believe that any issues arising from the review will cause concern to those of us who feel that export credits have an important role to play in supporting British exporters generally--and that includes the defence sector.
Mr. Geraint Davies (Croydon, Central):
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that most export credits are non- defence credits? On a wider issue, will he confirm that we are taking on a new role in relation to debt relief for emerging markets and third-world countries, while also lowering tariffs to facilitate market access? In that context, do not export credit guarantees hold the key to enabling countries that have suffered severe poverty to catch up with the western world in terms of economic growth?
Mr. Byers:
My hon. Friend makes an important point about the positive role that export credits can play in helping countries to develop their own economies. The Government certainly intend to do that, which is why we have concentrated on productive expenditure, especially in the case of the least-well-developed countries. Such countries need to commit their finance to projects that will make economic growth possible. That will form a crucial part of the ECGD's role in the future, and can, I think, be compatible not just with supporting British business, but with our development objectives.
I hope that, when we announce the outcome of the review in a few months' time, the House will see that we have struck the right balance between our two aims. They are not in competition with each other: we want to unite the interests of British business with countries' development needs.
15. Mr. Oliver Heald (North-East Hertfordshire):
What discussions he has held with his international counterparts on future progress with WTO negotiations. [111546]
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Stephen Byers):
Since Seattle, I have been in contact with a number of my international counterparts from both the European Union and the rest of the world to discuss reform of the World Trade Organisation and the launch of a new round. Most agree on the need to launch a new round as soon as possible, and the need for reform of the WTO.
Mr. Heald:
Does the Secretary of State agree that almost nothing is more important than for Britain to fight for global free trade, and to lower European Union tariff barriers? Is he aware that the Secretary of State for International Development has said that his Department will take a strong lead in trying to reform the WTO's procedures following Seattle? Can he report any progress
Mr. Byers:
I agree that it is an important issue, and progress is being made.
Mr. Byers:
If the hon. Gentleman can wait, I will tell him.
The reform programme will now have two parts. There will be some specific and rather technical changes, which are being discussed in Geneva; we hope to conclude those discussions by the end of this month. We also see a need for more fundamental WTO reform, which will take longer, because the WTO operates on the basis of consensus: an individual member can block progress. The more radical reforms will take time, but I think that engaging in a dialogue--which is what we are doing--will give real opportunities for substantial reform, hopefully within a year or 18 months.
Mr. Harry Barnes (North-East Derbyshire):
Is the Secretary of State aware that only a small percentage of the money that changes hands internationally from day to day is for trade in goods and services, and that the great bulk is concerned with capital speculation? Is that problem discussed with equivalent Ministers at meetings of the World Trade Organisation? We should begin to propound the idea of an international tax on capital speculation; then we would be able to tackle some of the problems faced by third-world nations.
Mr. Byers:
My hon. Friend has always had interesting ideas. The WTO has been considering the question of investment in the context of its rules. Issues of international capital exchanges are more correctly the remit of the International Monetary Fund, and my hon. Friend will be aware that the IMF has adopted procedures to try to restrict sudden flows of capital in and out of particular countries. That has been successful over the past 12 or 18 months, and that is probably a more appropriate path than the one suggested by my hon. Friend, which I would not want to follow.
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