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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 21 June 2000
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Corruption and Bribery
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which British companies involved in the Ilisu Dam project are involved in the trial concerning bribery and corruption in Lesotho; and if he will make a statement. [127079]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 June 2000]: As has already been reported in the press, Balfour Beatty, one of the companies involved in a bribery trial in Lesotho, is bidding for work on the proposed Ilisu Dam project in Turkey.
It would be inappropriate to comment on specific allegations against British firms, which are a matter for the appropriate courts.
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what formal procedures are in place in the event of companies in receipt of ECGD support (a) being charged with corruption and (b) having allegations of corruption made against them. [127082]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 June 2000]: ECGD's audit services would normally investigate any case, in either category, where there are grounds for believing that the Exchequer's interest might be prejudiced as a result of alleged corrupt practices.
ECGD will shortly be introducing new procedures to the OECD Bribery Convention aimed at further deterring corrupt practices.
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken concerning recent allegations of bribery and corruption on the part of British companies in Lesotho. [127080]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 June 2000]: The Government share international concern at all allegations of corruption. It would, however, be inappropriate to comment on specific allegations against UK firms which are a matter, in this instance, for the Lesotho courts. The Government will, if asked, co-operate fully in any way that it can.
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the directors of UK companies banned from World bank contracts who are directors of companies in receipt of ECGD support; and if he will list the relevant companies. [127085]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 June 2000]: The World bank last updated their list of ineligible firms on 29 February 2000. ECGD has no record of having provided support to any of the firms on that list.
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Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what staff he has in post to check for corruption relating to ECGD- backed projects. [127083]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 June 2000]: ECGD policy makes it clear that all staff have a part to play in minimising the risks of corruption and malpractice by remaining alert to such possibilities and by developing and maintaining effective controls to reduce these risks. Additionally there is an Internal Audit Department of seven who have responsibility for investigating any suspected cases of corruption relating to ECGD backed projects.
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if guidelines to prevent corruption will be included in the forthcoming recommendations for the ECGD's Mission and Status. [127084]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 June 2000]: The review of ECGD's Mission and Status is ongoing and I cannot comment on the outcome of the review until it is complete. It is looking at what ECGD's future role should be and, as I stressed when I announced the review last July, will consider carefully how ECGD can better help the Government to meet their wider objectives. I expect Ministers to determine necessary changes to ECGD's Mission in the next month or so. A report of the review will be published.
Post Offices (Benefits Agency Business)
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments were made to post offices in each of the last five years for undertaking Benefits Agency business in (a) Scotland, (b) Dumfries and Galloway and (c) Galloway and Upper Nithsdale parliamentary constituency. [124713]
Mr. Alan Johnson: I understand from the Post Office that details of payments made to post offices in respect of business undertaken for the Benefits Agency are contractual matters and as such commercially confidential.
Trade Partners UK
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the recent performance of British Trade International; and what are its (a) performance criteria and (b) annual budget. [126751]
Mr. Caborn: British Trade International's services for trade development and promotion are now delivered under the single brand name of Trade Partners UK. As I announced last month, British Trade International is also the umbrella body for the Invest in Britain Bureau which will work alongside Trade Partners UK.
Trade Partners UK was launched nationally on 31 May 2000, and replaces the various promotional brands that have been used in the past. The services available to firms will be easier to access and more effective. A new electronic gateway provides internet access to all basic information on international markets and business sectors, and an electronic inquiry service. Trade Partners UK will continue to work in partnership with other Government Departments, devolved administrations and regional bodies.
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Trade Partners UK's aim is to enhance the competitiveness of Britain's companies through overseas sales and investments. Trade development and promotion objectives have been published in both the Foreign Office's Departmental Report and the Department of Trade and Industry's Government Expenditure Plans.
In the period 1999-2000, these objectives were achieved with, for example, a customer satisfaction rate of 89 per cent. and more businesses (especially SMEs) being encouraged to take an active and professional approach to exporting as a result of assistance provided.
Detailed performance criteria for Trade Partners UK's future activities are in development. These will be in place by April 2001.
British Trade International's annual budget for its Trade Partners UK activities consists of three elements. In round figures these are:
- about £67 million for programme expenditure;
- about £90 million (net of certain overheads) currently devoted to running costs (staff) in overseas posts;
- about £30 million currently devoted to running costs in the UK (the headquarters in London and the English regional operations). About £28 million of the funding is provided by DTI, the balance by the FCO.
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what will be the cost of establishing Trade Partners UK. [126753]
Mr. Caborn: It cost £250,000 to develop the Trade Partners UK brand. Further costs of promoting and developing customer awareness of the new brand and the services we offer are being met by redirecting marketing effort that would in any case have been spent on promoting our services.
A3XX
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of launch aid has been provided by his Department for the Airbus A3XX; to how many sets of components the launch aid applies; and how many jobs he estimates will be created as a result of the launch aid. [127158]
Mr. Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 13 March 2000, Official Report, column 9W, that the Government would provide £530 million of launch investment to BAE Systems to help them develop the wings for the A3XX. We estimate this project will create 22,000 new jobs (8,000 in BAE Systems and supply companies, and 14,000 new induced employment) and safeguard a further 62,000 jobs (20,000 on current Airbus programmes and 42,000 in induced employment).
Employment Relations Act 1999
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will use section 23 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 to give ministers of religion the same employment rights as other employees. [126879]
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Mr. Alan Johnson: The Government are committed to carrying out full public consultation before exercising the power in section 23, which allows the Secretary of State to confer existing employment rights on categories of individuals who currently fall outside their coverage. The issue of rights for ministers of religion is one of those on which we intend to seek views in the consultation document.
Foreign-based Commercial Staff
Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many commercial staff and at what grades his Department employs in (a) Kazakhstan, (b) Uzbekistan, (c) Turkmenistan, (d) Tajikistan and (e) Kyrgystan. [R] [126433]
Mr. Battle: I have been asked to reply.
Commercial staff overseas are employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as part of the unified FCO/DTI British Trade International operation. Staff in British Trade International's UK operation are primarily employed by the Department of Trade and Industry. We have no representation in Tajikistan or Kyrgystan. Details of commercial staffing in the other countries are (a) Kazakhstan--the equivalent of 2.68 staff (including a DTI officer on loan), (b) Uzbekistan--the equivalent of 2.65 staff and (c) Turkmenistan--the equivalent of 1.95 staff. The staff involved in commercial work vary in grades. These totals are a reflection of the total time spent by both UK based and locally engaged staff over a year. They reflect the combined efforts of several staff at each post on commercial work.
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