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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 21 December 1999
NORTHERN IRELAND
Security
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the measures taken in
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each month since November 1998 (a) to reduce security activity and (b) to remove security installations. [101881]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 15 December 1999]: The following table lists the measures taken to reduce security activity and remove security installations since November 1998.
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| Date | Occurrence |
|---|---|
| 17 November 1998 | Drumadd Roulement Battalion Rear Based |
| 23 November 1998 | Demolition of 3 Bessbrook Permanent Vehicle Control Points (PVCP) |
| November 1998 | Cessation of routine military patrolling in Newry |
| November 1998 | Cessation of military patrolling on the City side and Waterside, Londonderry |
| 24-26 January 1999 | Vacation of Patrol Bases at Mullan Bridge, Roscor Bridge, Wattle Bridge, Clonratty Bridge, Gortmullan Bridge, Killyvilly and Annaghmartin |
| 3 February 1999 | Demolition of Aughnacloy PVCP |
| 8 February 1999 | Demolition of V3 PVCP (Hump) |
| 12 February 1999 | Demolition of V4 PVCP (Muff) |
| 26 February 1999 | Demolition of V1 PVCP (Letterkenny) |
| 21 May 1999 | Demolition of Fort Whiterock completed |
| 9 July 1999 | Plot 854 in Crossmaglen returned to the GAA |
| 4 August 1999 | Demolition of Gortmullan Patrol Base completed |
| 5 September 1999 | Vacation of Carrickfergus Base |
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
E-commerce
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact on the development of e-commerce of separate charges made by banks for internet purchases; and if he will make a statement. [99879]
Dr. Howells: The Government are committed to the rapid development of e-commerce in the UK. Our policy is to make the UK the best place in the world for e-commerce by 2002. To help us achieve this, the Prime Minister commissioned the Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit, in January this year, to undertake a project that would recommend how this can be achieved. Their report--"e-commerce@its.best.uk"--was launched by the Prime Minister on 13 September. All 60 recommendations have been accepted by the Government.
In November 1998 the Chancellor of the Exchequer set up an independent review of the UK retail banking market, chaired by Don Cruickshank. In line with the recommendations in "e-commerce@its.best.uk", the issues under consideration by Don Cruickshank include the involvement of banks in payments made over the Internet. They expect to publish the results of their work in February 2000.
Corporate Assets
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the value of land and property in (i) Scotland, (ii) the United Kingdom, (iii) overseas and (iv) total within the responsibility of the (a) Office of Fair Trading, (b) Office of
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Telecommunications, (c) Office of Gas Supply, (d) Office of Electricity Regulation and (e) Export Credits Guarantee Department. [99815]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 26 November 1999]: (a) The Office of Fair Trading does not own any land or property.
(b) The Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL) does not own any land or property.
(c) The Office of Gas Supply has land and property of estimated value of £1.7 million in Leicester--none in Scotland and none overseas.
(d) The Office of Electricity Regulation does not own any land or property holdings.
(e) The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) does not own any land or property.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to assess the safety of gas cookers; and if he will make a statement. [101162]
Dr. Howells:
The safety of new and second-hand gas cookers is controlled by the Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1995 and the Gas Cooking Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1989.
I have no plans to undertake any assessment at this time.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evaluation he has made of the total
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compliance cost to British business of regulations introduced by Her Majesty's Government since May 1997. [101834]
Mr. Byers:
Individual regulatory impact assessments contain such an evaluation.
Mrs. Dean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive the report from the Health and Safety Executive on its review of the Explosives Acts of 1875 and 1923. [101808]
Dr. Howells:
I understand that the Health and Safety Executive intends to publish a consultative document on its review of explosives legislation next summer.
Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those goods requiring an export licence which have been licensed for export to Sri Lanka since 1 May 1997. [102184]
Dr. Howells:
For the period 2 May 1997 to 19 October 1999, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Colman) on 4 November 1999, Official Report, columns 281-82W.
The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 20 October and 30 November 1999, seven Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and no Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Sri Lanka of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings.
Where this is so, the licence is included in the Table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.
| Rating | Number of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating |
|---|---|
| ML2 | 2 |
| ML4 | 1 |
| ML6 | 1 |
| ML11 | 1 |
| ML21 | 1 |
| PL5017 | 2 |
This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307-08W.
In addition, Sri Lanka is a permitted destination on certain Open General Export Licences covering the export
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of goods on the Military List. Copies of all Open General Export Licences valid at any time during the period are in the Library of the House.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date approval was given for the licence for export of the Black Shaheen missile to the United Arab Emirates; if an inter departmental Committee gave its approval to the licence; and if Ministers of (a) his own or (b) other Departments were consulted prior to licence approval. [102138]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 9 December 1999]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the then Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills), on 12 January 1999, Official Report, column 149W. The position stated there remains unchanged.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate the adequacy of the availability of consumer advice provided by local authorities to the public; and if he will make a statement. [102458]
Dr. Howells:
The recent Audit Commission report: "Measure for Measure: the Best Value Agenda for Trading Standards Services" confirmed the Government's analysis, as set out in the White Paper: "Modern Markets: Confident Consumers" (Cmnd 4410), that the quality and availability of consumer advice varies across the country. The White Paper outlined our proposals to ensure that people have easier access to high quality advice. The Government will promote the development of a joined-up approach to the provision of advice through CABx, local authorities and independent advice agencies, linking with the Community Legal Service.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the total work force in his Department is of ethnic minority origin; and what steps he is taking to encourage the employment of people from the ethnic minorities in his Department. [102727]
Mr. Byers:
On 1 April 1999, the percentage of staff in the DTI of ethnic minority origin was 14.3 per cent. This includes staff in DTI Headquarters, but excludes casual staff and staff in Government Offices and Executive Agencies.
My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, set out in his reply of 16 December 1999, Official Report, column 264W, corporate action across the Civil Service to encourage the employment of people from ethnic minorities. This Department continues to raise awareness of the DTI through careers events focusing on ethnic minority groups. The Department consults advisers on diversity and racial awareness issues and constantly reviews its recruitment procedures.
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