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Electricity Industry (Safety)

Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account Ofgen took of the minimum staffing levels required in respect of safety when setting its revised price controls for the electricity industry; and if he will make a statement. [114132]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 13 March 2000]: Safety is of paramount importance in the electricity distribution industry and an issue which transcends price controls. Companies have statutory obligations, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as well as the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988, which is the responsibility of the Engineering Inspectorate in my Department. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, in proposing price controls, takes account of these obligations, and companies, in accepting the price controls, accept their obligations to operate safe networks with the revenues provided.

British Investments (Azerbaijan)

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the value of British investments in Azerbaijan in (a) oil and gas extraction, (b) oil and gas transport, (c) oil and gas support services, (d) hotels and leisure, (e) banking, (f) service industries, (g) manufacturing, (h) retail sales, (i) telecommunications, (j) construction and (k) agriculture. [115558]

Mr. Caborn: The exact figures are not available but our Embassy in Baku have estimated that the total amount of UK investment in Baku is around $1 billion. This represents money actually spent by UK companies like BP Amoco in the country on design or engineering work to date. The breakdown is as follows:

	$
(a) oil and gas extraction	755 million
(b) oil and gas transport	210 million
(c) oil and gas support services	25 million
(d) hotels and leisure	1 million
(e) banking	2 million
(f) service industries	2 million
(g) manufacturing	0
(h) retail sales	500 thousand
(i) telecommunications	2 million
(j) construction	2 million
(k) agriculture	500 thousand
Total	1 billion

Internal Market Council

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the outcome of the Internal Market Council held in Brussels on 16 March; and if he will make a statement. [115548]

Mrs. Liddell: I represented the UK at the Internal Market Council in Brussels on 16 March.

28 Mar 2000 : Column: 107W

There was an open debate on the Commission's outline proposals for an EU Food Authority, guided by a series of Presidency questions on the separation of risk assessment and risk management, the relationship between the EU Authority and national bodies, the scope of the Authority's responsibilities and access to the Authority. Other Councils will also be considering the Commission's White Paper and there will be a report to the European Council in June. The Commission will take account of the Council's views in formulating its detailed proposals which will be issued in September.

There was discussion of the Cardiff Economic Reform Process and of the preparations for the Lisbon Special Summit. The Council agreed Conclusions on economic reform to be forwarded to the Lisbon Summit and there was general support for the Presidency framework for Lisbon. The Council acknowledged the significance of Lisbon as a starting point for economic reform for the new economy and discussed the need for return to be accompanied by rationalisation of the Council structure.

The Commission introduced a review--which took full account of UK views--of the Simpler Legislation in the Internal Market (SLIM) initiative; the Council will be asked to agree Conclusions on the review at the IMC on 25 May. There was a debate on the Commission's eEurope initiative and the Presidency noted that an Action Plan will be adopted at the June European Council in Feira.

The Council reached political agreement on amendments to the Community Customers Code and on the Jams Directive, where the exclusion of "bakery jams" is preserved and is therefore a satisfactory outcome for the UK. The Presidency reported briefly on the Copyright Directive and the Spanish asked for rapid progress on the Community Designs Regulation.

During lunchtime discussion of the Takeovers Directive, UK and Spain reported that a solution of the issue of communications between Gibraltar competent authorities and counterparts in other member states was in sight.

Habitats Directive

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the timing of the licensing of the White Zone. [115733]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 21 March 2000]: I refer my hon. Friend to my previous answer of 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 455W. I can inform him that officials are currently working to put in place a statutory framework for applying the Habitats Directive to offshore oil and gas activities.

Utilities Costs

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the average cost of (a) 650 therms of gas and (b) 8,000 units of electricity to consumers (i) paying by direct debit and (ii) paying by means of a pre-payment meter in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [115912]

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Mrs. Liddell: Provisional estimates of these costs for 1999 are presented in the table, as are equivalent bills for customers on standard credit terms. The majority of customers are still on standard credit terms.

Provisional estimates of 1999 annual electricity and gas bills for domestic consumers (11)£

Payment method	Gas (650 therms)	Electricity (8,000 kWh)
Standard quarterly credit	320	594
Direct Debit	281	574
Pre-payment meter	336	608

(11) Average UK bills, including VAT

Nuclear Industry

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 15 March 2000, Official Report, column 190W, on the nuclear industry, if he will provide a technical description of the reasons which led to each of the shutdowns listed. [115914]

Mrs. Liddell: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All of the shutdowns are briefly described in each power station's fortnightly newsletters, which are in the public domain.

North Yorkshire Power Line

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate alternative methods of providing electricity other than the proposed Lackenby-Picton transmission line; and if he will make a statement. [116238]

Mrs. Liddell: The decision on the North Yorkshire power line was made in March 1998. Development consents were granted for this line in 1998 following exhaustive public inquiries and there is no machinery for now reviewing those consents.

Government Offices, Eastcote

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future plans for the Government offices at Eastcote. [116739]

Mr. Byers: This site is currently owned by my Department (DTI), but shared with the MoD. DTI use has now come to an end, leaving the site under-utilised. It is my Department's intention, therefore, to make a free transfer of the Eastcote site to MoD ownership, as that department is best placed to explore the possibility of re-locating existing units to other sites. Depending on the outcome, this could lead to the site being released for alternative civilian use. This work will form part of MoD's ongoing review of its estate in Greater London, which has the objective of concentrating Defence activities on a smaller number of core sites.

Bilateral Concordat (Wales)

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to publish the bilateral concordat between his Department and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. [116740]

28 Mar 2000 : Column: 109W

Mr. Byers: The First Secretary and I have today agreed the text of the Concordat between the Department of Trade and Industry and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. Copies of the Concordat have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and the text will be available on the Department of Trade and Industry website.

Rover

Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions the Government have taken in relation to the decision by BMW to sell part of the Rover Group; and if he will make a statement. [116868]

Mr. Byers: BMW's recent decision to divest itself of elements of the Rover Group was a commercial one. The Government are determined to help the people, communities and businesses respond to BMW's decision.

On Thursday 23 March I met the Chairman of BMW AG, Professor Milberg, and his senior management, impressing upon them the need for BMW's continuing involvement. After a useful and constructive discussion, BMW has agreed to look at ways to try to maximise job retention and at how the company might work with the recently established Task Force to promote the regeneration of Longbridge and the other sites affected.

During my visit to the region on 17 March I announced the establishment of a Task Force, headed by Alex Stephenson, Chairman of Advantage West Midlands, the Regional Development Agency. The Task Force membership includes people from key organisations concerned with regenerating the economy of the affected parts of the West Midlands. I asked it to report to me within six weeks.

The Task Force will:

Assess the impact of any reduction in activity at Longbridge on the people, businesses and communities of the region;

Advise on the public and private resources needed to help deal with the consequences, and

Draw up proposals for action by local partners and by central government.

I announced that £129 million of government funding would be available to support projects in the region aimed at dealing with the consequences of BMW's decision.

The Employment Service is setting up a Rapid Response Unit at Longbridge to help deal with any redundancies. This will involve establishing a job shop to give advance notice about job vacancies, careers advice and benefits, a fast-track claims process for employees who were made redundant, and access through the local TEC to training to meet the needs of the employees.

The Task Force has also made contact with the 98 leading suppliers to Rover and expects to have an analysis of their situation later this week. In addition it is contacting the remaining suppliers, including second and third tier suppliers. A hotline for handling queries from suppliers and from individual employees affected is also being established.

The Task Force has also held preliminary discussions with BMW about the future of the Longbridge site and will be holding further discussions with BMW, Alchemy and Ford about future intentions so far as employment is concerned, about the site and development issues.

28 Mar 2000 : Column: 110W

The Government have also raised with BMW a range of other issues including their plans in relation to other sites and plants and the concerns of the network of dealers.

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