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Parental Leave
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to allow adoptive parents entitlement to parental leave. [123230]
Mr. Alan Johnson [holding answer 22 May 2000]: The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999, which came into effect on 15 December 1999, entitle adoptive parents to 13 weeks unpaid parental leave.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department of Trade and Industry made an announcement on 9 May setting out the details of a review looking at the issues surrounding maternity pay and parental leave. The review will look at increasing adoption and whether rights to adoption leave are being taken up.
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on the subject of entitlement to (a) statutory maternity and (b) parental leave for parents adopting a child. [123229]
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Mr. Alan Johnson [holding answer 22 May 2000]: The Department received 107 responses to the 1998 "Fairness at Work" White Paper proposal to provide adoptive parents with three months parental leave. Of these, 104 respondents agreed with Government's proposal.
The Maternity and Parental Leave consultation in summer 1999 invited views on the Government's detailed proposals for framing parental leave for adoptive parents. Over 200 responses were received on this subject, over three-quarters of which supported the proposals.
The Department has also received about 20 letters on adoption leave since 1999.
In addition to these representations we have discussed this issue with representatives of key adoption organisations.
Paternity Leave
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what improvements he plans for statutory entitlement to paternity leave; and when he intends to propose them. [121580]
Mr. Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry made an announcement on 9 May setting out the details of a review on maternity pay and parental leave. The review will look at ways of providing further support and choice for working parents with young children. We will consider how best to build on statutory parental leave entitlement in the context of the review.
Post Offices
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of post office closures, with particular reference to the effect on the number and length of additional car journeys which result. [123279]
Mr. Alan Johnson: No such assessment has been made by my Department. But the Government remain fully committed to the maintenance of a nationwide network of post offices and fully recognise the valuable social and environmental role played by post offices in their local communities.
Indonesian Plywood
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much plywood from Indonesia was imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [123157]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 22 May 2000]: The information is given in the table:
| £ million | Thousand tonnes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 56.5 | 105.9 |
| 1996 | 64.5 | 118.0 |
| 1997 | 76.1 | 139.5 |
| 1998 | 49.9 | 130.7 |
| 1999 | 60.2 | 147.9 |
Note:
Plywood is defined by headings 634.31 to 634.49 of the Standard International Trade Classification (Revision 3)
Source:
HM Customs and Excise
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Export Licences
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many open export licences for the export of aircraft spares to Kenya remained in force between January and April; what items have been supplied under these licences during this period; and what end-use assurances have been given by the Kenyan authorities in relation to the re-export of equipment supplied under these licences. [122554]
Dr. Howells: The export of military aircraft spares is controlled under entries ML5, ML10, ML11, ML15, ML16 and ML21 in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January and 30 April 2000, 30 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) gave licence coverage to export to consignees or end-users in Kenya, goods with the relevant ratings.
Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings. Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.
| Rating | Number of valid OIELs covering goods with this rating and including Kenya as a permitted destination (OIELs may cover a range of countries) |
|---|---|
| ML5 | 5 |
| ML10 | 19 |
| ML11 | 9 |
| ML15 | 2 |
| ML21 | 2 |
In the period, there were no valid OIELs for Kenya covering goods with the rating ML16.
This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307-08W.
An Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) is specific to an individual exporter and covers multiple shipments of specified goods to specified destinations and/or, in some cases, specified consignees. The exporter must obtain from each consignee an appropriate written undertaking for each export before the export takes place, or not later than one month after the date of exportation. Where the exporter intends to make more than one exportation to the same consignee in any period of one year, an annual written undertaking may be obtained in fulfilment of this requirement. As with SIELs, where goods are being consigned direct to a Government body, the DTI will normally accept a copy of the Government purchase contract order, or the relevant extracts from the contract.
In addition, Kenya is a permitted destination on certain Open General Export Licences covering the export of goods on the Military List. An Open General Export
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Licence (OGEL) allows the export from the UK of goods specified in the goods coverage of the OGEL to specified destinations. In such circumstances, end-user undertakings are not required. Copies of OGELs are routinely placed in the Library of the House.
As regards the additional information requested, inquiries are being made under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Where confidential information is involved, the parties concerned will be asked if they object to its disclosure, and this can take some time. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry since December 1998 how many (a) single and (b) open export licences have been issued for the export of aircraft spares to Kenya. [122555]
Dr. Howells: The export of military aircraft spares is controlled under entries ML5, ML10, ML11, ML15, ML16 and ML21 in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 December 1998 and 8 May 2000, one Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) and 12 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Kenya of goods with the relevant ratings. Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings. Where this is so, the licence is included in the total for all of the relevant ratings.
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The one SIEL issued covered goods with the rating ML10. There were no SIELs or OIELs issued covering goods with the rating ML16.
This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307-08W.
In addition, Kenya is a permitted destination on certain Open General Export Licences covering the export of goods on the Military List; copies of all Open General Export Licences are routinely placed in the Library of the House.
Research Councils
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) total budget and (b) budget per head of the United Kingdom population was for each of the six research councils in each year since 1994. [122131]
Ms Hewitt: Details of the grant in aid paid to the Research Councils, the population figures and the budget per head of the UK population are set out in the tables.
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| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Council budgets | |||||||
| BBSRC | 177.996 | 184.531 | 183.980 | 188.042 | 190.818 | 198.276 | 202.420 |
| EPSRC | 332.338 | 354.389 | 377.983 | 386.276 | 389.444 | 404.796 | 412.026 |
| ESRC | 59.215 | 61.508 | 64.070 | 65.227 | 67.506 | 70.782 | 71.300 |
| MRC | 270.576 | 271.599 | 282.083 | 289.078 | 293.998 | 305.566 | 319.151 |
| NERC | 167.939 | 169.281 | 159.341 | 168.150 | 174.967 | 178.715 | 181.450 |
| PPARC | 204.629 | 202.806 | 213.536 | 197.869 | 193.105 | 186.680 | 205.774 |
| Total | 1,212.693 | 1,244.114 | 1,280.993 | 1,294.642 | 1,309.838 | 1,344.815 | 1,392.121 |
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(1) Calendar year figures--mid-year estimate from Population Trends, Spring 2000
(1) Not available
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