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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 8 June 2000
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Forms
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the net change in each year since May 1997 in the number of forms issued by his Department which (a) charities and (b) other voluntary organisations are required to complete. [123942]
Dr. Howells: There are no forms issued by the Department specifically aimed at charities or other voluntary organisations. Where charities are incorporated as companies under the Companies Acts they will of course need to file company accounts and other event-generated forms in the normal way.
Efforts are continually being made to simplify these forms. A recent example is the repeal of the requirement to list a director's other directorships on the company annual return.
European Structural Funds
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total amount received by the UK under the European Union structural funds in each of the last five years. [124743]
Mr. Caborn: The total European Union Structural Funds allocation to the United Kingdom for the period 1995-99 is 12,590 million Euros, which is £8,229 million in 1999 prices. The table breaks this total into the yearly sums. This figure includes the European Social Fund allocation.
| Euro million | £ million | |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2,341 | 1,530 |
| 1996 | 2,455 | 1,604 |
| 1997 | 2,552 | 1,668 |
| 1998 | 2,569 | 1,679 |
| 1999 | 2,673 | 1,748 |
The figures in the table are for allocations rather than receipts. Some receipts are not recorded centrally and, in any case, receipts in one year include reimbursement of some claims submitted in respect of previous years, while some claims submitted during the year in question will not be paid in that year. Programmes have until the end of 2001 to spend and claim the amounts allocated and committed for the period 1994-99.
Petroleum Prices
Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of when the OPEC member countries' decision to restore their
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production to pre-March 1999 levels will be reflected in petroleum prices in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [124205]
Mrs. Liddell: OPEC production increases, agreed in March 2000, led to a significant fall in crude oil prices, which has subsequently been reversed due to low stock levels and high product demand.
In recent months, historically low product stocks and significant European refinery maintenance have reduced the supply of petroleum to the market, putting pressure on prices.
ECGD
Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to limit the provision of export credits for non-productive exports. [124660]
Mr. Caborn: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. Member for South-West Devon (Mr. Streeter) on 8 February 2000, Official Report, column 216-18W
There are no plans at present to extend this initiative to other countries.
Power Lines
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received calling for the undergrounding of the proposed Lackenby to Shipton overhead transmission line to prevent damage from lightning storms. [124227]
Mrs. Liddell: Other than the hon. Member's letter of 24 May 2000 to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, to which I am replying separately, I am aware of no such representations.
Scottish Highlands
Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the current economic impact of assisted area status on the Scottish Highlands; and if he will make a statement. [124775]
Mr. Caborn: Assisted area status is widely considered to have a positive economic impact on those areas--such as the Scottish Highlands--covered by the assisted area map.
World Petroleum Congress
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which representatives of the UK Government will be attending the World Petroleum Congress in Calgary this month. [125015]
Mrs. Liddell: The Department will be represented by senior officials.
Energy Council
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Energy Council on 30 May. [125577]
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Mrs. Liddell: The Council considered several matters of interest to the United Kingdom.
The centre-piece of the Council was a structured debate on energy liberalisation where the Commission presented a paper outlining progress on building a single energy market with proposals for accelerating liberalisation. Ministers were asked to comment on measures needed to monitor progress, further harmonisation requirements, social implications and public service obligations. The UK welcomed the Lisbon agreement on accelerating liberalisation, called for 100 per cent. liberalisation by a specific date and supported further structural measures including unbundling and regulated third party access. The UK circulated a report on the UK's experience of the social effects of energy liberalisation aimed at providing the Council with a balanced analysis of social effects of energy liberalisation. Also the UK/Netherlands circulated preliminary results of a joint study providing both qualitative and quantitative data on the development of competition in gas and electricity markets across Europe and urged the Commission to take this work forward. The Commission and most member states welcomed this work. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The Council adopted conclusions welcoming progress on implementation of the electricity directive and the agreement of the European electricity regulatory forum on a cross border transmission pricing mechanism, effective from 1 October, and acknowledged that further work was needed on congestion management. On gas the conclusions noted the work of the European gas regulatory forum.
In addition, the Commission presented a draft proposal on access for renewables to the internal electricity market and an energy efficiency action plan. The UK welcomed both dossiers identified as priorities in the UK Presidency. The first is a particularly important single market measure and both are key elements of the energy/environment integration strategy developed as part of the EU's response towards our Kyoto targets. The Council agreed conclusions on the energy efficiency action plan which recognised the need for Community policies and measures to complement, coordinate and add value to national actions, and invited the Commission, working in cooperation with member states, to come forward with specific proposals quickly.
The Council agreed conclusions on gas security of supply which invited the Commission to continue to monitor the supply position in Europe and to establish a group on an informal basis to discuss mutual areas of interest to improve coordination between member states.
Also, the Council adopted a decision enabling the European Community to sign an agreement with the United States on the coordination of energy-efficient labelling programmes for office equipment--energy star--and reached political agreement on a draft regulation for implementation of the energy star scheme.
Finally, the Council noted reports on Euro-Med Cooperation including conclusions and the Energy Charter Treaty.
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CABINET OFFICE
Grace and Favour Residences
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) number and (b) locations are of grace and favour residences not within royal palaces. [118871]
Marjorie Mowlam: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) by the Prime Minister on 5 June 2000, Official Report, columns 50-51W.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Guillotine Motions
Mr. Shepherd: To ask the President of the Council if she will list (a) the Bills since May 1997 that have been subject to a guillotine and (b) the date of each guillotine motion, indicating which were all-party programme motions. [124847]
Mrs. Beckett: The information requested is as follows:
(1) Indicates programme motion subsequently amended. For details see Sessional Returns 1997-98)142), pp 10-12.
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