| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
West Midlands Task Force
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what party affiliations are recorded against the members of the West Midlands Task Force dealing with the situation at Longbridge. [116281]
Mr. Alan Johnson: The Longbridge Task Force is a non-political group consisting of representatives drawn from a wide range of organisations across the West Midlands. Each member has been invited to join by the Chairman, Alex Stephenson, who has selected individual participants on the basis of their experience and the contribution they can make to the work of the Task Force. There is no record of their individual party political affiliations.
Hydro Agri (Immingham)
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the job losses at Hydro Agri in Immingham. [113840]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 10 March 2000]: I was aware that Hydro Agri's plant at Immingham was under review. I am naturally disappointed about the job losses which will result from the closure of the production side of the plant.
It would be inappropriate for me to comment any further as this is a commercial decision, but the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber stands ready to work with Yorkshire Forward and other relevant agencies to help with re-training and identifying new job opportunities if required.
Welding Institute, Cambridge
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the (a) grants made to and (b) contracts agreed by his Department or its agencies at the Welding Institute near Cambridge in (i) 1998 and (ii) 1999. [113879]
Mr. Alan Johnson
[holding answer 10 March 2000]: In 1998 the Department made total payments of £1,370,000 in grants or contracts to TWI. Much of this was for technology transfer activity in areas such as laser, plastics, structural composites and joining generally. The largest project (with grant of around 70 per cent. of the total paid) was to develop an internet based technology transfer delivery system based on BT communications expertise.
27 Mar 2000 : Column: 45W
In 1999 grants and contracts for similar work totalled £420,000 of which around 45 per cent. was to research the feasibility of developing their internet based technology transfer system into a knowledge trading system for other UK knowledge providers.
In addition over this period TWI have secured grants through the North East Region for several projects funded from European Structural Funds, which the Department manages.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to develop relationships through the Office of Science and Technology with Taiwan in the areas of science and technology. [113828]
Mr. Byers:
The Office of Science and Technology attaches importance to facilitating civil scientific co-operation between the UK and Taiwan. A number of visits have recently been made by officials from Taiwan's National Science Council to discuss aspects of UK civil science policy. Dr. Jenn-Tai Hwang, Chairman of the National Science Council, will visit London in May this year.
These contacts, and the work of staff in the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei to promote science and technology links, should raise the profile of UK science in Taiwan, and will help UK companies and the science base to gain access to Taiwanese innovation and technology.
27 Mar 2000 : Column: 46W
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Global Enterprise Initiative. [116046]
Mr. Caborn:
The Global Enterprise Initiative will be launched in the United Kingdom later this spring. It is a British Trade International scheme designed to bring British and Indian companies together in commercial co-operation--eg joint ventures or distribution agreements. We seek to encourage British firms to look again at the growing opportunities for them in India. The scheme has been tested successfully on the ground in India, and during his visit to India in January, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced a target for the Global Enterprise Initiative to develop 200 new business partnerships over the next two years.
Mr. Sayeed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact on United Kingdom companies of the banana dispute between the European Union and the United States. [115999]
Mr. Caborn:
The United States has World Trade Organisation authority to retaliate up to an annual monetary value of $191.4 million against EU goods. The sectors that the US has chosen to include in this authorised retaliation, and the trends in US imports from the UK of these products, are as follows:
27 Mar 2000 : Column: 45W
| Description | US tariff code | 1998 (£ million) | 1999 (£ million) | Percentage change 1998-99 | Absolute change (£ million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batteries | 85072080 | 10.80 | 3.75 | -65.3 | -7.0 |
| Bath oils | 33073050 | 4.76 | 1.17 | -75.5 | -3.6 |
| Lithographs | 49119120 | 2.56 | 0.91 | -64.3 | -1.6 |
| Bed linen | 63022190 | 0.34 | 0.06 | -82.0 | -0.3 |
| Cartons | 48192000 | 1.19 | 0.79 | -33.6 | -0.4 |
| Coffee makers | 85167100 | 0.62 | 0.25 | -60.2 | -0.4 |
| Wallets | 42023210 | 0.17 | 0.07 | -61.2 | -0.1 |
| Handbags | 42022215 | 0.01 | 0.01 | -12.2 | 0.0 |
| Felt paper | 48055000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | -- | -- |
| Total | -- | 20.44 | 7.00 | -66.0 | -13.4 |
Source:
US International Trade Commission website. Converted to £ sterling using average sterling/dollar rates for each year.
ONS Economic Trends
27 Mar 2000 : Column: 45W
The actual impact on UK companies in the targeted sectors will depend on a number of factors, including the length of time that the retaliatory measures remain in place, and the ability of affected companies to find alternative customers for their goods. However, I have received many representations from UK companies affected by the US retaliation. Taking into account these representations and the above data, my assessment is that there is a real risk of damage to UK companies in terms of lost trade and jobs.
Synchrotron
Ms Southworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, when he wrote to the Wellcome
27 Mar 2000 : Column: 46W
Trust on 4 October 1999 to inform them that he was minded to locate Diamond at Daresbury, he wrote similarly to the French Government. [115632]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 21 March 2000]: I did not.
Departmental Secondment
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2000, Official Report, column 524W, on departmental secondment, if he will list the companies from which staff were seconded to his
27 Mar 2000 : Column: 47W
Department in the periods (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to the latest date for which figures are available. [114544]
Miss Melanie Johnson
[holding answer 15 March 2000]: The information is as follows:
| 1 May 1997 to 30 April 1998 | 1 May 1998 to 30 April 1999 | 1 May 1999 to date |
|---|---|---|
| British Petroleum | British Petroleum | -- |
| Arthur Andersen | Arthur Andersen | Arthur Andersen |
| BZW | BZW | -- |
| Coopers and Lybrand | Coopers and Lybrand | Coopers and Lybrand |
| Tarmac | Tarmac | -- |
| Price Waterhouse | Price Waterhouse | -- |
| Pannell, Kerr Foster Associates | Pannell, Kerr Foster Associates | Pannell, Kerr Foster Associates |
| Midland Bank | Midland Bank | Midland Bank |
| -- | Slaughter and May | Slaughter and May |
| Ernst and Young | Ernst and Young | Ernst and Young |
| Quality Business Management | Quality Business Management | Quality Business Management |
| Esso | -- | -- |
| Peat Marwick | -- | -- |
| Robson Rhodes | -- | -- |
| -- | Manpower | Manpower |
| -- | Deloitte Touche | Deloitte Touche |
| -- | Price WaterhouseCoopers | Price WaterhouseCoopers |
| -- | Dilston Management | Dilston Management |
| -- | -- | Financial Services Agency |
| -- | -- | Brunswick Public Relations |
| -- | -- | Institute of Fiscal Studies |
Bank Closures
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the Chief Executive of Barclays Bank concerning its policy of closing banks in small towns and rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [116130]
Dr. Jack Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to Barclays Bank plc about their branch closure policy; what reply he has received; and if he will make a statement. [115996]
Miss Melanie Johnson: [holding answer 24 March 2000]: I refer my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend to the reply given on 20 March 2000, Official Report, column reference 444-45W.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |