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Petrol Prices
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding petrol prices charged to customers by car hire companies. [101134]
Mr. Byers: I have received no such representations.
British Gas
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to ensure that British Gas LP Gas is accountable to the Gas Consumer Council. [101164]
Mrs. Liddell: The Gas Act 1986 defines gas by reference to substances which are in a gaseous state and does not deal with liquid petroleum gas (LPG) unless it is in a gaseous state when ownership is transferred to the consumer. As a body set up under the Gas Act 1986, the Gas Consumers' Council therefore has no functions in respect of companies' LPG activities. The Government have no plans for change in this respect.
As consumers have done in the past, problems concerning the pricing and supply of LPG, should continue to be referred to their local Trading Standards Department. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is responsible for consumer protection and competition issues covering the LPG industry including issues of pricing, supply and delivery and has powers under the Fair Trading Act 1973 to investigate anti-competitive behaviour such as collusive or predatory pricing. Consumers will continue to be able to bring this to the attention of the Director General of Fair Trading.
Dental Whiteners
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to stop the practice of hairdressers administering dental whiteners illegally. [101190]
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Mr. Byers:
We are not aware of this practice of hairdressers supplying dental whiteners. However, if a hairdresser supplies to consumers dental whitening products which are contrary to the Cosmetics Regulations, then this act of supply would be prohibited under those Regulations regardless of the use the whiteners may be put to.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action the Government are taking to secure a revocation of the EU Directive on dental whiteners; and if he will make a statement. [101192]
Mr. Byers:
There is no EU Directive on dental whiteners. These are controlled under the Cosmetics Directive. A review of the provisions of the Cosmetics Directive as they apply to tooth whiteners is currently under way.
Mr. Hesford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with other members of the European Union on improving the competitiveness of business. [101198]
Mrs. Liddell:
My Department's EU priorities, and in particular the central objective of improving the working of the single market, are aimed at improving the competitiveness of EU industry. DTI ministerial colleagues and I have regular discussions with our EU opposite numbers on a wide range of issues in both bilateral meetings and at EU Council meetings in Brussels.
The process of encouraging the EU to concentrate on competitiveness issues was reinforced at EU level at the Cardiff European Council under the UK Presidency last year which laid down a process to encourage and monitor economic reform and competitiveness in Europe.
In March next year, the Portuguese Presidency will be holding a special European Council on economic reform, employment and social cohesion. The UK has made a substantial input to this discussion, with the knowledge-driven economy, enterprise and social inclusion as our main proposals for achieving the objective of making Europe the most advanced knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010. My colleagues and I have spoken to a large number of our counterparts in other member states on these themes.
Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce new regulations for the automotive industry relating to the handling and disposal of redundant secondary restraint systems on vehicles. [101498]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published guidance on the handling, storage, transport and disposal of vehicle air-bags and seat-belt pre-tensioners (ISBN 07176 15987). In addition the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders recommends that such items should not be re-used after removal from vehicles, a recommendation endorsed by the HSE. Although the Government currently have no plans to introduce legislation banning re-use we will keep this under close review.
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Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the average decrease per household in the price of (a) electricity and (b) gas since privatisation expressed in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms. [101499]
Mrs. Liddell:
(a) Average annual domestic electricity bills are estimated to have fallen by £59 in real terms (at 1999 prices) between 1990 and 1999, representing a fall of 18 per cent.
| 1990 (11) (£) | 1993 (12) (£) | Change (£) | Percentage change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real terms(13) | 324 | 265 | 59 decrease | 18 decrease |
| Cash terms | 245 | 265 | 19 increase | 8 increase |
(10) Average UK domestic electricity bill (including VAT) for customers on Standard Credit terms consuming 3,300 kWh. The majority of customers are on these payment terms. Other payment methods currently available are direct debit, and pre-payment.
(11) Privatisation of the electricity supply industry for the domestic market took place in 1990.
(12) 1999 figures are provisional estimates.
(13) Real 1999 terms calculated using the GDP (market prices) deflator. The 1999 deflator is estimated based on data for the first three quarters.
| 1986 (15) (£) | 1993 (16)(£) | Change (£) | Percentage change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real terms(17) | 443 | 305 | 138 decrease | 31 decrease |
| Cash terms | 261 | 305 | 56 increase | 17 increase |
(14) Average GB domestic gas bill (including VAT) for customers on Standard Credit terms consuming 18,000 kWh. The majority of customers are on these payment terms. Other payment methods currently available are direct debit, and pre-payment.
(15) Privatisation of the gas supply industry for the domestic market took place in 1986.
(16) 1999 figures are provisional estimates.
(17) Real 1999 terms calculated using the GDP (market prices) deflator. The 1999 deflator is estimated based on data for the first three quarters.
Fuel Prices
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what impact the change in the price of fuel since privatisation has had (a) on the retail prices index and (b) on the amount of money paid in state benefits. [101500]
Mrs. Liddell:
(a) The retail prices index (RPI) produced by the Office for National Statistics consists of a variety of components, each covering different products, including fuels. These components are aggregated using weights, which change each year, to produce the overall
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RPI. Over the period from 1987 to 1998 the fuel and light component of the all items RPI has increased more slowly than the all items RPI. The available information is presented in the table:
| All items RPI January 1987=100 (18) | Fuel and light component January 1987=100 (18) | Weight given to fuel and light component in the all items RPI parts per 1000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 101.9 | 99.1 | 61 |
| 1988 | 106.9 | 101.6 | 55 |
| 1989 | 115.2 | 107.3 | 54 |
| 1990 | 126.1 | 115.9 | 50 |
| 1991 | 133.5 | 125.1 | 46 |
| 1992 | 138.5 | 127.8 | 47 |
| 1993 | 140.7 | 126.2 | 46 |
| 1994 | 144.1 | 131.7 | 45 |
| 1995 | 149.1 | 134.5 | 45 |
| 1996 | 152.7 | 134.8 | 43 |
| 1997 | 157.5 | 130.6 | 41 |
| 1998 | 162.9 | 125.0 | 36 |
(18) Annual average
Note:
Figures for years prior to 1987 are based on January 1974=100
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