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EC Treaties

Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the trade treaties that have been negotiated and signed on behalf of the United Kingdom by the European Community. [117580]

Mr. Caborn: Over three hundred agreements on trade and trade-related matters have been signed by the European Community/European Union since 1972. Most cover matters exclusively within the EU's competence which are applicable to the UK and other member states. Full details are available on the website of the European Council at http://db.consilium.eu.int/accords.

Among the most recent agreements are:

Agreement between the European Community and Australia amending the Agreement on trade in wine (February 2000)

Agreement between the European Coal and Steel Community and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on trade in certain steel products (December 1999)

Agreement between the European Community and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on trade in textile products (December 1999)

Exchange of Letters concerning the amendment to the Annexes to the Agreement between the European Community and New Zealand on sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products (October 1999)

Agreement on Trade, Development and Co-operation between the European Community and its member states, of the one part, and the Republic of South Africa, on the other part (October 1999)


Protocol adjusting trade aspects of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their member states, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, on the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union and the outcome of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture, including improvements to the existing preferential arrangements (June 1999).

End of Life Vehicle Directive

Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his assessment of the cost implications for the United Kingdom car manufacturing industry of the proposed End of Life Vehicle Directive; and if he will make a statement. [117336]

Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Dorset (Mr. Bruce) on 21 February 2000, Official Report, column 715W.

Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government support the amendment proposed by the European Parliament to exclude historic cars from the End of Life Vehicle Directive; and if he will make a statement. [117337]

Ms Hewitt: Vehicles will be affected by this Directive only when they become waste as defined under existing legislation--in other words, only when the owners have decided to discard them. For this reason, amendments to the Directive designed to exempt 'historic' vehicles are unnecessary. However, the UK has made it clear that we would have no difficulty with amendments designed to clarify the situation, provided that suitable wording can be found.

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Ofgem

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what authority the proposed Ofgem regulator has to consult on and prepare a carbon dioxide reduction plan for the industry. [117771]

Mrs. Liddell: The Gas and Electricity Markets Authority which will be established under the Utilities Bill will have power to do anything calculated to facilitate the performance of its functions under the Electricity and Gas Acts. The Authority's primary focus under the Acts is economic regulation. The Acts will also require the Regulator to take account of guidance on social and environmental matters issued by Government. A draft of such guidance is currently the subject of consultation.

In its Plan and Budget for 2000-01, Ofgem mentioned that it would develop an Environmental Action Plan. This plan will, for example, identify any barriers to fair access for renewable generation and combined heat and power (CHP) to the electricity market as a contribution to meeting government targets for renewable and CHP production.

Non-fossil Fuel Obligation

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the non-fossil fuel obligation income for renewable energy support remains unspent in terms of (a) income not yet spent or allocated to a non-fossil fuel obligation project and (b) income allocated to a non-fossil fuel obligation project but not yet taken up by the project sponsors; and if he will make a statement in respect of unspent and unallocated non-fossil fuel obligation income to support the development of renewable energy. [117706]

Mrs. Liddell: Receipts from the Fossil Fuel Levy can be used only for expenditure on the above market cost of electricity generated under contracts entered into as a consequence of non-fossil fuel obligations (NFFO) and the related administrative costs of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and their agents. The surplus of receipts over expenditure is currently about £70 million. Expenditure on electricity contracted under the third, fourth and fifth non-fossil fuel obligations (NFFO-3, 4 & 5) for renewables is estimated to be £42 million in financial year 1999-2000. This figure is expected to rise to £60-£80 million next year and peak in 2003-04 as more projects commission and generate. Expenditure is likely to continue until November 2018 when the last contract ends. In the event that Fossil Fuel Levy receipts fail to cover NFFO expenditure generators might not be paid. The surplus is maintained at a level intended to guard against rapid and unexpected falls in electricity prices that would reduce levy receipts and increase NFFO expenditure.

Lawyers

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many lawyers are employed by his Department; and how many were employed in 1995. [117807]

Mr. Byers: The Department employed 105 lawyers as at 31 March 2000.

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The number of lawyers who were employed at 31 March in 1995 was 97.

North-east Economy

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to attract more business and industry to the North-east. [117941]

Mr. Caborn: A stable economic climate is vital to stimulate development. DTI policies are aimed to create an environment where new investment is attracted, business can thrive and jobs can be created. To achieve that nationally we have:

Announced a new Enterprise Grant Scheme for SMEs;

Created a £180 million Enterprise Fund to provide both debt and equity finance to UK SMEs with growth potential;

Set up the Small Business Service to provide a strong voice for small business at the heart of Government; and

Created new Regional Venture Capital Funds to support growing businesses in England.

To bring a more specific regional focus, we established eight regional development agencies. They bring together the regional work of DTI, DfEE and DETR on regeneration, rural development, competitiveness and skills and training. They are the lead bodies in the regions for inward investment activity and supply chain work.

In the North-east, the regional development agency, One NorthEast, have published their Regional Economic Strategy. Their vision is that by 2010, the North-east of England will be a vibrant, self-reliant and outward looking region, with the aspiration, ambition and confidence to unlock the potential of all its people. They are working with all of their regional partners to ensure there are sites, premises and the necessary work skills available to ensure the North-east region remains an attractive location for inward investors.

Rover

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the information provided to his Department between 1 November and 29 March by (a) BMW and (b) Rover. [117555]

Mr. Byers: The release of this information is a matter for BMW and Rover. Information provided by the Group was received "in confidence"--often being of a highly market sensitive nature. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to divulge the details.

I have however lodged in the House of Commons Library documents covering my correspondence and telephone conversations between Professor Milberg (BMW AG) and Professor Samann (Rover Group) from December 1999 to the date of BMW's announcement to sell elements of the Rover Group.

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what monitoring was carried out by his Department to ensure that the agreed recovery plan for Rover based on the grant of £152 million was proceeding on schedule. [R] [118067]

Mr. Alan Johnson [holding answer 7 April 2000]: The start of the R30 project depended upon approval of the grant offer by the EU Competition authorities.

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Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was expected to be the change on the profit and loss account at the time of the announcement by BMW of withdrawal from Rover against the profit and loss account position on which he based his decision to provide a £152 million grant; [R] [118065]

(2) what was expected to be the estimated position on the profit and loss account of Rover at the announcement of sale by BMW against the position on which he based his decision to provide a £152 million grant. [R] [118066]

Mr. Alan Johnson [holding answer 7 April 2000]: The application for Government RSA support for the R30 project at Longbridge was made in March 1999. Rover's losses in 1998 amounted to £642 million. This was the figure on which the grant decision was based.

BMW's announcement that they were withdrawing from Rover coincided with the announcement of the 1999 results. Rover's losses for 1999 were £750 million.

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