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Letters and Packets

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what statutory provisions the European Commission determines the limits to monopoly public services for letters or packets to a given upper value or weight. [125700]

Dr. Howells: The statutory provisions under which the European Commission may propose changes to the reserved area for letter post are found in Directive 97/67/EC

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of the European Parliament and the Council dated 15 December 1997, which was made under Articles 57(2), 66 and 100a of the Treaty establishing the European Community (now Articles 47(2), 55 and 95 in the consolidated version of the EU Treaty and the EC Treaty made by the Treaty of Amsterdam). Such proposals are submitted for consideration to the European Parliament and to the Council of Ministers.

Civil Plutonium and Uranium

Dr. George Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish figures for the United Kingdom's stocks of civil plutonium and uranium as at 31 December 1999. [126232]

Mrs. Liddell: I have today placed in the Libraries of the House figures for the United Kingdom showing national holdings of civil plutonium and uranium as at 31 December 1999. In accordance with our commitment under the "Guidance for the Management of Plutonium", I have today sent a copy of the figures to the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who will be circulating it to member states in due course.

Research Councils

Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the quinquennial review of the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils will take place; and what the terms of reference for the review will be. [126231]

Mr. Byers: My noble Friend the Minister for Science is today launching the Quinquennial Review of the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils.

Reviews of non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) are an important part of our modernisation programme. The Government are committed to achieving better public services that are of higher quality and are more responsive to the needs of the people who use them. Regular NDPB reviews are an important element in ensuring that we have in place the right structures to deliver the Government's agenda effectively and to provide a strong focus on improving future performance.

The terms of reference for the Review of the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils are:

CCLRC was established in February 1995 and so it is due for review in the course of 2000.

The review of CCLRC will have two stages.

The first stage will examine the role, organisation and composition and funding mechanisms for CCLRC, by reference to its Charter and mission, its past performance, recent CCLRC instigated studies on future vision and funding, current best practice for NDPBs and its contribution to the work of other Research Councils. All relevant options for the future of the Council will be considered, including abolition, continued NDPB status, rationalisation, privatisation or strategic contracting out.

The conduct of the second stage will be dependent on and informed by the outcome of the first. If the first stage confirms the continued operation of CCLRC in its present or another form, this stage will examine the opportunities for improving performance by reference to such issues as management structures, aims and objectives, performance targets and service standards, use of new technology, levels of delegated authority and effective accountability. In that event, the review will take account of evidence of work already undertaken to review and

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improve performance. Opportunities for expanding the present range of users of facilities and services and optimising the contribution of facilities and services to exploitable research will also be considered.

The review will be conducted in accordance with the latest Cabinet Office guidance (published on 31 January 2000) and will include consultation, either in person or in writing, with members of Council, staff of the Executive and CCLRC's customers and key stakeholders.

The Review Team will report at intervals to a Review Board. It will be the task of the Review Board to respond flexibly to the Reviewer's proposals during the progress of the Review, each member contributing guidance and knowledge, including where appropriate the good offices of his or her parent department or organisation. The Review Board will ensure that Ministers, the Treasury, the Cabinet Office, and the staff and customers of the CCLRC are kept informed of the progress of the Review and will facilitate the gathering of information for the Reviewer and his or her communication with staff and customers.

The Review will be supported by officials in the Office of Science and Technology, with specialist advice as appropriate. The Review Board will be chaired by Sir Peter Williams and include key stakeholder representatives. The aim will be to complete each stage of the review within a period of about approximately three months, as recommended in the Cabinet Office guidance.

As indicated in the terms of reference, the Review Team is seeking the views of interested parties. A questionnaire is available from the CCLRC website http://www.clrc.ac.uk/qreview or from:

CCLRC Quinquennial Review Team

Office of Science and Technology

Room G/5

Albany House

94-98 Petty France

London SW1H 9ST

Tel: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Initial comments should be sent to the above address by 4 July 2000.

Nuclear Reprocessing

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with BNFL in respect of the statement by British Energy that it wishes to end the reprocessing of its spent fuel. [125566]

Mrs. Liddell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not discussed this matter with BNFL. Through my normal contacts with BNFL and British Energy, I am aware of the respective positions of both companies concerning the contracts they have entered into. The contracts are a commercial matter for the two companies.

Expenditure Limits

Mr. Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes will be made to his Departmental Expenditure Limit and running costs limit for his Department and the Office of Telecommunications. [126230]

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Mr. Byers: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the voted element of the Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Department of Trade and Industry will be increased by £58,372,000 from £3,445,344,000 to £3,503,716,000 and the gross running costs limit will be increased by £1,000,000 from £400,002,000 to £401,002,000. The net provision of Class IX Vote 1 will be increased by £58,372,000, which results from:

(i) additional provision of £45,000,000 for operating aid to coal producers;

(ii) additional provision of £15,000,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the promotion of innovation clusters and business incubators in the regions;

(iii) the transfer of £866,000 to the Scottish Executive, £496,000 to the National Assembly for Wales, and £266,000 to the relevant Northern Ireland Department representing their share of the Phoenix fund to promote enterprise among disadvantaged groups and in deprived areas;

(iv) the reclassification as running costs of £1,000,000 of programme expenditure provision for the Small Business Service.

The £45,000,000 for operating aid to coal producers will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

In addition, subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Office of Telecommunications will be increased by £2,399,000 from £1,000 to £2,400,000 and the gross running costs limit will be increased by £1,484,000 from £11,347,000 to £12,831,000. These changes result from:

(i) an increase of £1,484,000 in the running costs provision to ensure a competitive market in internet access which underpins e-commerce;

(ii) an increase of £946,000 in the current expenditure provision for co-operation with economic regulators overseas;

(iii) an increase of £250,000 in the capital expenditure provision to implement an electronic records management system.

These increases will be offset by a compensating increase in appropriations in aid. However, adoption of the EC Telecoms Licensing Directive will result in a reduction of £2,399,000 in the overall appropriations in aid provision.

The consequential increase of £2,399,000 in the net provision will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Gas-fired Power Stations

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce his decisions on Veridian Power Resources Ltd.'s proposals to build gas-fired power stations at the Rockware Glass factories at Knottingly and Doncaster. [126233]

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Mrs. Liddell: I have today decided to give directions under section 14(3) of the Energy Act 1976 to prevent Viridian Power Resources Ltd.'s building 13 MW generating stations to be fuelled by natural gas at the Rockware Glass factories at Knottingly and Doncaster.

Copies of the Press Notice and decision letter are being placed in the Libraries of the House.

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