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MOX Fuel
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department was informed by BNFL of problems in respect of MOX fuel supplied to German utilities. [112033]
Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 2 March 2000]: BNFL first told my Department of a problem concerning MOX fuel supplied to the German utility, PreussenElektra, on 22 October 1999.
ECGD Projects
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which British (i) banks and (ii) companies are involved in the following ECGD supported projects: (a) ACESITA stainless steel strip mill in Timoteo, (b) the nuclear power project in Qinshan, China, (c) the coal handling export terminal in Tianjin, China, (d) the coal fired power station in Manjung, Malaysia, (e) the Janamanjung Plant in Malaysia, (f) the development loan to the Korean Development Bank and (g) the seventh Airbus A330-200 to the United Arab Emirates. [112473]
Mr. Caborn:
The following is the information:
3 Mar 2000 : Column: 423W
| ECGD supported project | Name of bank | Name of company(1) |
|---|---|---|
| ACESITA stainless steel strip mill in Timoteo, Brazil | ||
| (a) Annealing and Pickling Line | Kleinwort Benson Ltd. | VAI (formerly Davy McKee (Poole) Ltd. trading as Davy International) |
| (b) Hot Mill | Lloyds TSB (formerly Lloyds Bank plc) | VAI (formerly Davy McKee (Sheffield) Ltd. trading as (Davy International) |
| The nuclear power project in Qinshan, China | ||
| (a) Qinshan Phase II | Standard Chartered Bank | Weir Pumps Ltd. |
| (b) Qinshan Phase III | Midland Bank plc | Bechtel Ltd.(2) |
| The Coal handling export terminal in Tianjin, China | Midland Bank plc and Bank of China, London | ALSTOM Automation International Ltd. |
| The coal fired power station in Manjung Malaysia(3) | Midland Bank plc | ALSTOM Power Plants Ltd. |
| Line of Credit for Korean Development Bank(4) | HSBC Investment Bank plc | Various(5) |
| The seventh Airbus A330-200 to United Arab Emirates(6) | HSBC Bank plc | BAE Systems (formerly BAE) and Rolls-Royce |
(1) Companies listed are the known lead contractors but there will be many sub-contractors involved on which records are not routinely held by ECGD--for example in the Airbus case typically, some 400 in the BAE Systems supply chain and some 250 in the Rolls-Royce supply chain.
(2) Bechtel Ltd. is acting as procurement agents to procure equipment from a number of British firms (including Weir Pumps and ALSTOM) who have won valuable sub-contract work.
(3) The coal fired power station in Manjung, Malaysia '(d)' and the Janamanjung Plan in Malaysia '(e)' are one and the same project.
(4) A Supplier Credit Finance Facility (SCFLOC) to support the purchase of UK Capital and Semi-Capital UK Goods and UK Services. It is an export credit loan and not a 'development loan'.
(5) No contracts have yet been placed.
(6) Delivered on 28 January 2000--the seventh of seventeen aircraft ordered under a Purchase Agreement dated 18 October 1996.
3 Mar 2000 : Column: 425W
Utilities Bill
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to make regulations under the Utilities Bill regarding Consumer Council access to information. [113414]
Mrs. Liddell: The Utilities Bill contains strong information-gathering powers for the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council, to ensure it has access to the information it will need in order to play an influential and informed role on behalf of consumers within the regulatory system.
However, there are a small number of areas, such as information relevant to court proceedings, where confidentiality is legitimate. I have today published a consultation paper setting out the Government's initial thoughts on making regulations defining these areas, subject to Parliament's approval of the relevant provisions of the Utilities Bill.
I have placed copies of the consultation paper in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the right to full employment protection of individuals who become direct employees under IR35. [112987]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The treatment of individuals under tax and national insurance legislation does not determine their status for employment law purposes.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes were made in the draft map of authorities designated for Objective 2 status, including internal ward changes, prior to publication of the final map; and how such changes were made. [111920]
Mr. Caborn
[pursuant to the reply, 2 March 2000, c.342W]: I now provide the changes in the proposals.
The changes made to coverage in England are as follows:
The changes made in Scotland are:
3 Mar 2000 : Column: 426W
Judy Mallaber:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish New Deal statistics at an individual constituency level regularly. [113410]
Ms Jowell:
To support our crusade against youth unemployment, I am pleased to announce that I am today making available information on the progress of the New Deal in each constituency across Great Britain. To put this information into context, some general indicators of local labour markets are also included.
Copies of the individual constituencies' statistics have been placed in the Library. In order to keep Members informed of progress, I will place updates of this information in the Library each quarter.
Torbay
Torwood ward is added
Southend
Victoria and St. Lukes wards are included in exchange for Chalkwell and Leigh wards
Great Yarmouth
Magdalen West ward was included in exchange for Gorleston ward
East Staffordshire
Victoria and Eton wards are included in exchange for Needwood ward and Tutbury and Hanbury ward.
Angus
Slidlaw and Carnoustie West are included in exchange for Colliston and Hayshead wards
Clackmannanshire
Harviestoun ward is no longer included
Dundee
Dudhope, Central, Menziehill and Gourdie wards are included in exchange for Wellgate, Baxter Park, Douglas, Whitfield and Trottick
Falkirk
Dawson and Victoria wards are included in exchange for Denny ward
Glasgow
Castlemilk and Dennistoun are included in exchange for Toryglen and Crosshill
Midlothian
Part of Pathhead ward is now included
Moray
Keith and part of Strathisla ward are now included in exchange for Rathford
Renfrewshire
Johnstone Cochranemill ward is included in exchange for Barshaw
South Lanarkshire
Ferniegar and part of Fernhill ward are included in exchange for Low Waters.
Pensioners
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the income of the poorest pensioners in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 2000-01. [111811]
Mr. Rooker: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:
The median income among the poorest fifth of pensioner couples in 1997-98 was £126 per week. The median among the poorest fifth of single pensioners was £68 per week.
3 Mar 2000 : Column: 427W
Mr. Sarwar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what (a) current measures are in place and (b) future proposals he has to ensure the senior citizens claim their full benefit entitlement. [111094]
Mr. Rooker:
We are committed to taking action to find more effective ways of encouraging eligible pensioners to claim their benefit entitlement. We will be announcing our plans, to encourage pensioners to take-up their entitlement to their minimum income guarantee, shortly.
Notes:
1. Information is for 1997-98, the latest year available. Forecasts are not available for 2000-01.
2. Single pensioners are defined as single (non-cohabiting) people over state pension age (65 for men, 60 for women); pensioner couples are defined as couples (married or cohabiting) where the man is over state pension age.
3. Estimates of incomes refer to net income before housing costs, expressed in July 1997 prices.
4. Estimates are rounded to the nearest £ per week, although they are not necessarily accurate to that degree.
5. For the purposes of this analysis, the 'poorest' are defined as the bottom fifth of the pensioner couples income distribution and the bottom fifth of the single pensioners income distribution, calculated on the net income before housing costs measure. Figures are not available for the distribution of pensioner couples and single pensioners combined.
6. The median income for a given group of people, or couples, is the income of the person or couple exactly in the income distribution. Thus for a given group, half the people or couples have an income higher than the median and have an income lower than the median.
Source:
Family Resources Survey 1997-98.
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