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MOX Fuel (Japan)

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the European Commission in respect of the compatibility of the recently announced payment to Japan arising from the problems of falsification of data sheets sent with MOX fuel, with EU rules governing state aid. [133364]

Mrs. Liddell: None. The costs of resolving the MOX fuel problem will be met by BNFL and are a commercial matter for them.

Rover

Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance is being planned for companies in the Rover supply chain which are heavily

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dependent on revenue from supplying parts for the Rover 25 and 45 where business is being affected by interruption of production associated with the transfer of the Rover 75 production line from Oxford to Longbridge. [133860]

Mr. Byers: I have considered the position of suppliers to the Rover 25 and 45 models, who will be faced with considerable disruption and down-time as the assembly lines at Longbridge are re-configured to allow more flexible production of these two models from a single line. I have therefore decided to extend the support already announced for suppliers to the Rover 75 model, so as to make it available also to those companies most heavily reliant on the Rover 25 and 45.

Higher Eduction Research

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give details of the extra funding for higher education research announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review, including the split of payments between (a) the Office for Science and Technology, (b) the Funding Councils and (c) the Wellcome Foundation the broad criteria for allocation and the degree of matched funding required for institutions. [133292]

Mr. Byers: I will write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of that letter in the Libraries of the House.

Employment Agencies

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes he intends to make to the temp-to-perm fee arrangements charged by employment agencies. [133439]

Mr. Byers: I am considering the responses to our consultation.

Trans Tec

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive the inspector's report into Trans Tec. [133440]

Mr. Byers: I have emphasised to the inspectors that their prime objective must be to provide me with a full report as quickly as possible consistent with the need to undertake a fair, thorough and professional investigation. I have also asked the inspectors to report in a form which will enable the report to be made public.

The inspectors are independent of Government and it is for them to judge when they have completed sufficient inquiries to present their report.

Horizon Project

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 24 July 2000, Official Report, column 418W, on post offices' IT, how much of the money that will be contributed to the Horizon project will be spent on (a) computer terminals for public access and (b) Internet provision. [133723]

Mr. Alan Johnson: None. Separate financial provision is being made for the pilot trials of the Government General Practitioner and Internet Learning and Access projects.

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Universal Bank

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by him and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to banks, building societies and other financial institutions about the proposed Universal Bank. [133163]

Mr. Alan Johnson: Yes. I have arranged for this to be done.

Rural Post Offices

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria are to be used to assess whether a rural post office closure is avoidable. [133049]

Mr. Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 28 June 2000, Official Report, columns 907-20.

Postal Services Commission

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date he intends to publish revised draft guidance on the social and environmental objectives of to the Postal Services Commission; and what will be the closing date for comments. [133164]

Mr. Alan Johnson: Formal consultation on guidance on social and environmental objectives cannot take place until the Postal Services Bill is enacted and relevant sections have been brought into force. The Act will be brought into force on dates yet to be specified by orders made by the Secretary of State. The provisions for consultation on draft guidance are set out in clause 42 of the Bill.

Mobile Phones

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) discussions he has had about and (b) plans he has for, making mobile phones more secure and less attractive to steal; and if he will make a statement. [131984]

Ms Hewitt: The mobile industry already undertakes a series of measures to deter the theft of mobile phones. Such measures include the optional use of PIN codes to lock handsets; the ability to disable the SIM card (the smart card in the phone which connects the phone to a network) making it impossible to send and receive messages; and the ability to disable the phone handset itself. Some operators also subscribe to a world-wide service which enables a phone number to be blocked by overseas networks as well.

In the interest of customer loyalty and fraud management, I would expect the mobile industry to adopt all appropriate measures to minimise the possibility of theft and will continue to encourage them to do so.

Electronic Communications Act 2000

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what orders he (a) has made and (b) intends to make using section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [133371]

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Ms Hewitt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no orders to date using section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000. It is likely that orders will be made to enable companies to file information electronically at Companies House, and in respect of the Petroleum Act 1998, in order to allow the electronic submission of information by oil companies and consequent electronic delivery of consents and approvals by the Secretary of State.

DTI remains committed to removing barriers to the effective use of electronic communications and will consider making such orders in appropriate cases.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office provided in a written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton) on 24 May 2000, Official Report, columns 532-34W, details of known plans for all Departments.

Nuclear Materials (Safeguards)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith), of 19 January 2000, Official Report, columns 487-88W, what progress has been made with the study of data on withdrawals of nuclear material from safeguards. [133861]

Dr. Howells: I am pleased to confirm that the study has now been completed and I have today placed in the Library of the House a paper containing detailed information on past withdrawals of nuclear material from safeguards. The paper includes tabulated data which show advance notifications of such withdrawals made pursuant to the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement, broken down by year, material type and quantity, along with information on the reason for withdrawal. This information represents the outcome of the study of data on withdrawals from safeguards prior to announcement of the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). Information is also included on withdrawals which have taken place since the SDR announcement in July 1998 and shows that such withdrawals have comprised only small quantities of material for use in instrument calibration or radiation detectors or as analytical tracers or radiological shielding. Information on future withdrawals will be made available on an annual basis.

Miners Compensation

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 13 July 2000, Official Report, column 617W, on miners' compensation, for what reasons Mr. Felix Graham, of Blackburn, West Lothian, (Healthcall Ref. 148674) has not received compensation for work-related illness. [132983]

Mrs. Liddell: Mr. Graham attended a spirometry testing appointment in October. Unfortunately he was unable to complete the lung tests and he had used his bronchodialtor less than four hours prior to his appointment. Under the Handling Agreement, signed by the claimants' solicitors, the Department was not, therefore, able to make Mr. Graham an expedited offer.

Mr. Graham subsequently elected to proceed through the full Medical Assessment Process and his completed claims questionnaires and mandates, allowing access to medical records, have been forwarded to Healthcall, the

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company contracted to carry out the medical assessments. Once Mr. Graham's medical records have been collected he will be invited to make an appointment.

In the meantime, Mr. Graham has received an interim payment.

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