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Trade Bodies
Mr. Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what criteria he uses to determine whether a trade body is representative of an industry and should be consulted in the formulation of a policy decision; [132261]
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- (2) what his policy is in determining whether a trade body is representative of an industry; [132262]
(3) what percentage of an industry must a trade body represent to be considered representative of that industry. [132263]
Ms Hewitt: It is not the place of the Government to tell industry how to organise its own representative bodies. However, in the Best Practice Guide for the Model Trade Association the Government have identified the key characteristics that we feel trade associations should have as representatives of their industry.
They should represent the whole of a commercial or industrial sector and seek to cover all products, services and processes.
They should also ensure that their members represent a substantial proportion of the sector (both in terms of output and members).
Furthermore, before consulting trade associations or any other organisations representing industry, the Government is guided by the Code of Practice (How to conduct written consultation exercises) issued by the Cabinet Office, which sets out the guiding principles for effective consultation.
Design in Business Week
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote the Design in Business Week in the Autumn. [132082]
Ms Hewitt: Design in Business Week is an annual event run by the Design Council and its promotion is a matter for the Design Council.
The Design Council is to be congratulated on running Design in Business Weeks. Last year, it worked with some 120 organisations to run events which demonstrated the contribution that Design makes to innovation and competitiveness, attracting a business audience of 10,000. The week this year will run from 27 October to 3 November and I wish the Design Council even greater success than last year.
Bioremediation
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been made available by his Department for the purposes of research into bioremediation in each of the past 10 years. [132099]
Mr. Byers: The table gives an estimate of the amount of money spent through the OST Science Budget to the academic community, and the DTI Innovation budget to industry for research into bioremediation.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 240,000 |
| 1991-92 | 110,000 |
| 1992-93 | 405,000 |
| 1993-94 | 785,000 |
| 1994-95 | 1,060,000 |
| 1995-96 | 1,620,000 |
| 1996-97 | 3,010,000 |
| 1997-98 | 3,770,000 |
| 1998-99 | 3,960,000 |
| 1999-2000 | 4,360,000 |
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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered (a) citing disproportionate costs, (b) stating that the information is not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested or (c) citing commercial or other confidentiality. [132130]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 24 July 2000]: Very few Parliamentary Questions will not have been answered substantially for reasons other than those specified in the hon. Member's question. In addition to the information provided in the answers to the right hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Mr. Maclennan) on 23 June 2000, Official Report, column 313W and 29 June 2000, Official Report, column 576W, a further 12 Parliamentary Questions received answers indicating that the Minister would write with further information.
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many written parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April; and how many have not received substantive answers citing disproportionate cost as the reason. [132467]
Mr. Byers: Of the 1,707 written parliamentary questions answered during this period, 25 answers cited disproportionate costs as the reason for not providing part or all of the information requested.
Mobile Phones
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the mobile phone industry about labelling mobile phones with their radiation levels. [132434]
Ms Hewitt: Officials have held discussions with the mobile phone industry following the publication of the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (the Stewart Report), which recommended that information on SAR values for mobile phones be readily accessible to consumers.
SAR is the Specific Energy Absorption Rate. It is the rate at which energy is absorbed by unit mass of tissue in an electromagnetic field. SAR is the measurement unit used in the exposure guidelines of the National Radiological Protection Board and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Mobile phones do not emit ionising radiation.
In the Government response to the Stewart Report recommendations we agreed that the consumer should have access to SAR values when purchasing a mobile phone and that SAR measurements should be displayed at all points of sale, with each mobile phone, and on the world wide web. It is important that SAR values should be viewed in context, for example, by comparing the SAR value against the recommended exposure limits.
This recommendation will be implemented when the European standard on the test methodology for SAR measurement is adopted.
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Press Releases
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many press releases have been issued so far this year; and what the total cost of the production and issuing of press releases was in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 to date. [132781]
Mr. Byers: The DTI has issued 520 press releases since 1 January 2000.
The cost of distributing press releases was:
- (a) 1997--£184,669;
- (b) 1998--£230,560;
- (c) 1999--£211,268;
- (d) 2000 (to date)--£105,701.
Science and Innovation White Paper
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to publish the White Paper on Science and Innovation; and if he will make a statement. [133102]
Mr. Byers: I am today publishing the White Paper, "Excellence and Opportunity, a science and innovation policy for the 21st century".
I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Post Offices
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to increase Post Office Counters investment in commercially viable sub-post offices in urban areas which are not areas of social deprivation. [132798]
Mr. Byers: In the first instance, it is for the Post Office, in partnership with sub-postmasters and the National Federation of Subpostmasters, to determine the scope for additional investment in the modernisation of commercially viable urban sub-post offices to provide an improved level of service.
ECGD
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason total managed expenditure for the Export Credits Guarantee Department is planned to fall from £0.9 billion in 1999-2000 to zero in 2003-04; and if he will reconcile this planned fall with the figures provided in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review. [132797]
Mr. Caborn: Total managed expenditure for the Export Credits Guarantee Department almost entirely consists of the refinancing of previously issued export finance loans.
The net figure falls from £0.9 billion in 1999-2000 to zero in 2003-04 because the level of repayments on previously re-financed loans is projected to rise progressively to equal the forecast level of new refinancing advances.
It is not possible to reconcile with the figures in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review as the refinancing programme did not commence until after the Review.
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Astra
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) for what reason his Department is seeking to have documents relating to the Astra case destroyed; [131507]
- (2) what public interest justifications for the retention of documents relating to the Astra case he considered in making the decision not to retain them; [131508]
(3) if he will require the Official Receiver to retain documents relating to the Astra case. [131510]
Dr. Howells: The accounting records of Astra Holdings plc are under the control of the Official Receiver as liquidator of the company following a winding-up order made by the court on 13 January 1999.
Having established that the records were no longer required for the purposes of the liquidation, the Official Receiver proposed to utilise his powers under insolvency legislation and destroy the records. However, he became aware that third parties were interested in retaining the accounting records, for reasons unconnected with the liquidation.
In view of the competing demands for the preservation of the records, the Official Receiver has sought direction from the court on the question of their destruction, or continued preservation and custody. A court hearing to determine this matter is awaited and until then the records will be stored at public expense.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of his reply to the organisation Killing Secrets on the question of Astra documents. [131509]
Dr. Howells: Copies of my letters of 29 April and 19 May 2000 to Killing Secrets will be placed in the Library.
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