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Minimum Wage
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people have phoned the minimum wage hotline. [101481]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
Since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) on 1 April 1999 the helpline run by the Inland Revenue on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry has received some 95,000 calls. In addition, the NMW helpline arranged through the Central Office of Information took 50,000 inquiries in January to March 1999. The total number of calls received by NMW helplines is therefore over 145,000.
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Mr. David Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of oil fabrication in the Highlands and Islands. [101436]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 6 December 1999]: I am concerned at the situation faced by Barmac and the other UK offshore oil fabrication yards.
The difficulties facing the UK offshore oil fabrication industry were discussed fully at last week's Oil and Gas Industry Task Force, which I chair. As a result plans are already under way for DTI to co-ordinate and support a powerful group comprising Government, Scottish Executive and all of the relevant Departments and agencies throughout the UK. This group will meet as soon as possible to clarify how they can together best help the industry adapt to the changed demand for their products and solutions.
Mr. Terry Davis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing legislation for protecting customers against being sold cars for which the mileage has been altered. [100812]
Dr. Howells:
Selling a car with a false mileage reading is an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. The key is to ensure that the enforcement authorities and buyers have access to reliable information on the history of a vehicle and my Department has been working with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) on ways to improve this.
As a result the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are currently considering proposals to make available more information on mileage by introducing a mandatory requirement for mileage to be recorded on vehicle registration and licensing forms. In addition, the computerisation of the MOT testing system by DETR will provide another central source of mileage information on vehicles more than three years old. For newer cars, the Government support the car retail industry's scheme for centrally recording data collected when vehicles are services.
Debt
8. Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the recent moves in the US Congress to grant $110 million to fund bilateral debt forgiveness. [100355]
- 24. Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the response by the US Government to Her Majesty's Government's initiatives on the current debt crisis. [100371]
Clare Short:
The US Congress decision to provide resources for US export credit debt relief is welcome, as are its agreement to the IMF's financing of its debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
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initiative. However, the agreement on revaluing gold covered only the first tranche. The American pledge to cancel 100 per cent. of its bilateral debts for qualifying HIPCs will only be implemented after these countries have received their HIPC relief. It was therefore very disappointing that the US contribution for the HIPC Trust Fund was not agreed. This means that a substantial financing gap has opened up and this has stalled progress on implementing the revised HIPC initiative. I welcome the US Administration's commitment to pursue a US contribution to the Trust Fund next year.
20. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking to reduce the debt burden of the poorest countries. [100367]
Clare Short:
My Department has been working closely with the Treasury on the problem of unpayable debt. Our Government have played a leading role in seeking a permanent solution to the debt problems of the poorest countries. We successfully pressed for a comprehensive Review of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative last year. Proposals for revising the HIPC framework were agreed in September 1999 at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF. The HIPC initiative will now provide twice as much debt relief, and it will be provided more quickly and to more countries. There is also a much stronger link to poverty, to ensure that the poor benefit from the debt relief provided.
My Department has cancelled nearly all the aid debts of the poorest countries, worth around £1.2 billion since 1978, and we provide all our aid on grant terms, so as not to add to the burden of debt. We announced in 1997 that we are willing to cancel the aid debts of the remaining poor Commonwealth countries who are committed to poverty reduction and the international development targets, who are pursuing sound economic policies, who are committed to transparent and accountable government, and who are bearing down on corruption.
My Department also supports capacity building in debt management so that countries can better understand their debt position, negotiate their debt relief and formulate future borrowing strategies.
9. Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that EU aid policies concentrate more on poverty eradication and development. [100356]
Clare Short:
EC development assistance is ineffective and insufficiently focused on poverty. We are working to ensure the EC's development effort embraces international poverty eradication targets. We published a strategy at the end of last year with 18 detailed proposals for reform.
10. Mr. White:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the situation in Angola; and if she will make a statement. [100357]
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Clare Short:
The situation in Angola is grim. Some 3.7 million people are affected by the war. Many are facing serious malnutrition. The continuing insecurity remains a major obstacle to aid reaching some in greatest need. A lasting peace is the only answer. We have committed about £7.5 million in humanitarian assistance this year.
11. Mr. Ottaway:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on funding of population programmes. [100358]
Clare Short:
We are spending £80 million through our own programmes on reproductive health care. This is a doubling of our programmes since 1994. We also spend £5.4 million through NGO's. Over the past 30 years we have moved from 9 per cent. to nearly 60 per cent. of couples having access to modern contraception. The International Community is committed to reaching 100 per cent. by 2015.
12. Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the World Bank's world development report 1999-2000, "Entering the 21st Century"; and if she will make a statement. [100359]
Clare Short:
This year's World Development Report deals with two great trends--globalisation and localisation. I welcome its message that we need new rules and institutional responses. The poor benefit from rule-based systems: otherwise they can be trampled on and bullied by the most powerful. The WTO for example provides an opportunity to developing countries to achieve a fairer trading system. And international agreement is needed to tackle global environmental problems.
The 1999 Report covers many issues. I am particularly looking forward to next year's Report on Poverty. I have every hope it will be pathbreaking.
13. Mr. Fabian Hamilton:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to help Zambia to find a solution to its AIDS epidemic. [100360]
Clare Short:
AIDS is one of the four priority areas for our new Country Strategy in Zambia. We are already working in key areas of AIDS prevention, control and treatment.
14. Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the World Trade Organisation talks in Seattle in so far as they affect Britain's relations with developing countries. [100361]
15. Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what role her Department is playing in determining Government policy in respect of the World Trade Organisation. [100362]
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16. Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the WTO Seattle meeting, and its potential impact on poverty reduction, self-sufficiency and sustainability in the developing world. [100363]
25. Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the impact of the WTO Round in Seattle on the economies of developing countries. [100372]
27. Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effect of the WTO Seattle Round on developing nations. [100374]
Clare Short:
I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the answer I gave this afternoon to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham).
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