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Motor Fuels
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations the EU is carrying out into vertical control in the motor fuel industry. [146976]
Mr. Hain: The EU is not currently carrying out any investigations into vertical control in the motor fuel industry. However, the European Commission has said that, if it came across any evidence of anti-competitive practice within its sphere of competence, it would not hesitate to take immediate action and impose the appropriate sanctions.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations he is conducting into the delivery by motor fuel wholesalers to retailers of fuel at temperatures in excess of 15 degrees centigrade. [146968]
Mr. Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 26 June 2000, Official Report, columns 353-54W.
Miners' Compensation
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners in Amber Valley have (a) claimed and (b) received payments in compensation for vibration white finger. [147390]
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 117W
Mr. Hain: The Department's claim handling agents, IRISC, have registered 1,410 claims in respect of vibration white finger from claimants in Amber Valley. As at 24 January the Department had settled 162 claims in full, and made a further 265 interim settlements. In total the Department has paid out £2.3 million in respect of vibration related compensation in Amber Valley.
Communications
Mr. Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the remaining proposals from the EU and European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations identified in the Communications White Paper. [147612]
Ms Hewitt: The Government's assessment of the proposals from the European Commission identified in the Communications White Paper was set out in the following explanatory memoranda submitted by the Department of Trade and Industry:
- EM 10962/00 of 10 October 2000 on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services;
- EM 10960/00 of 10 October 2000 on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities;
- EM 10979/00 of 10 October 2000 on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services;
- EM 10963/00 of 10 October 2000 on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services;
- EM 10961/00 of 10 October 2000 on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector;
- unnumbered EM of 10 October 2000 on a proposal for a Directive of the European Commission on competition in markets for electronic communications services; and
- EM 11117/00 of 2 October 2000 on a proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a regulatory framework for radio spectrum policy in the European Community.
Mr. Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which proposals from (a) the European Union and (b) the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations to liberalise the licensing regime for communications networks have been (i) assessed, (ii) accepted and (iii) rejected. [147614]
Ms Hewitt: The Government's assessment of a proposal from the European Commission for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services was set out in explanatory memorandum
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 118W
10979/00 submitted by the Department of Trade and Industry on 10 October 2000. The proposed Directive is currently being considered by both the European Parliament and the Council.
A Recommendation from CEPT implementing a "one-stop shop" for licences for satellite systems and services was adopted in October 1999. The procedure allows undertakings seeking licences in more than one country to apply via the internet using a single common application form, greatly reducing red tape within the legal framework established for European Community member states by the Licensing Directive 97/13/EC. Four countries have implemented the Recommendation to date, while several more, including the UK, expect to implement as soon as satisfactory testing of the software is achieved.
A second Recommendation from CEPT adopted in 1999 contained a subset of conditions drawn from the Licensing Directive relevant to the telecommunications satellite environment. The Recommendation encourages CEPT administrations to draw only from the reduced list when attaching conditions to satellite licences. The Recommendation also contains a list of guidelines designed to promote a harmonised understanding of each condition throughout CEPT.
Respiratory Disease and Vibration White Finger
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the locations and (a) dates and (b) proposed dates of opening are of centres for medical assessment of claims for (i) vibration white finger and (ii) respiratory disease. [147802]
Mr. Hain: The Department currently has 14 vibration white finger assessment centres in operation, with a further centre to open in March, broken down as follows:
| Centre | Date opened |
|---|---|
| Barnsley(15) | November 1999 |
| Birmingham | February 2000 |
| Cardiff(16) | September 2000 |
| Derby | September 2000 |
| Doncaster | To open in March 2001 |
| Edinburgh | October 1999(17) |
| Glasgow | September 1999 |
| Manchester | January 2000 |
| Mansfield 1(16) | September 1999 |
| Mansfield 2 | July 2000 |
| Newcastle(15) | August 1999 |
| Nottingham 1 | January 2000 |
| Nottingham 2(15) | May 2000 |
| Sheffield | August 1999 |
| Stoke | March 2000(17) |
| Swansea | March 2000 |
| Wakefield | December 1999 |
(15) Three sets of equipment
(16) Two sets of equipment
(17) Mothballed in September 2000
The centres in Edinburgh and Stoke have been mothballed and will re-open when there is a sufficient pool of claimants ready for their medical assessment.
With regard to respiratory disease Medical Assessment Process centres, the Department currently has 27 centres in operation, with a further two centres to open later this year, broken down as follows.
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 119W
| Centre | Date opened |
|---|---|
| Ammanford | To open in March 2001 |
| Ayr | April 2000 |
| Barnsley 1 | March 2000 |
| Barnsley 2 | January 2001 |
| Bristol | May 2000(18) |
| Cannock | April 2000 |
| Chesterfield | February 2000 |
| Coventry | January 2000 |
| Deal | May 2000 |
| Durham | March 2000 |
| Edinburgh | March 2000 |
| Glasgow | March 2000 |
| Huddersfield | February 2000 |
| Leeds | May 2000 |
| Lochore | January 2000 |
| Manchester | February 2000 |
| Mansfield | February 2000 |
| Mexborough | February 2000 |
| Mountain Ash 1 | January 2000 |
| Mountain Ash 2 | January 2000 |
| Newcastle | January 2000 |
| Newport | January 2000 |
| Nottingham | January 2000 |
| Pontefract | February 2000 |
| Sheffield | January 2000 |
| Sterling | December 2000 |
| Stoke | April 2000 |
| Swansea | January 2000 |
| Wigan | June 2000 |
| Wrexham | March 2000 |
| Ystrad Mynach | To open in February 2001 |
(18) Mothballed in June 2000, re-opened in January 2001
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 120W
The centre in Bristol was mothballed and the equipment was transferred to Mountain Ash to cover a shortfall in South Wales. The Bristol centre reopened when a sufficient pool of claimants were ready for their medical assessment.
The MAP centres are also equipped to carry out spirometry assessment.
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims his Department has received in respect of respiratory disease; and in respect of how many claims spirometry has been completed. [147803]
Mr. Hain: As at 14 January the Department's claim handling agents, IRISC, had registered 130,869 claims in respect of respiratory disease. As at the same date 65,556 of the 86,458 live claimants had undergone spirometry testing, with a further 14,055 being invited to make appointments. Together these total some 92 per cent. of live claimants.
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by region of residence the numbers of (a) claims received in respect of respiratory disease, (b) interim and expedited awards in respect of respiratory disease by (i) number and (ii) value, (c) claims in respect of vibration white finger and (d) interim and general damage awards in respect of vibration white finger by (i) number and (ii) value. [147805]
Mr. Hain: The information is as follows:
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 119W
| Interim payments | Expedited payments | Total amount paid | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postal region | Total claims | Number of claims | £ | Number of claims | £ | £ |
| Wales | ||||||
| South Wales | 26,579 | 5,819 | 20,237,171.00 | 753 | 3,747,038.00 | 23,984,209.00 |
| Other | 1,126 | 273 | 931,169.00 | 4 | 23,014.00 | 954,183.00 |
| Scotland | ||||||
| Fife | 2,219 | 555 | 1,489,648.00 | 140 | 438,057.00 | 1,927,705.00 |
| Other | 8,288 | 1,565 | 4,562,413.00 | 364 | 1,247,977.00 | 5,810,390,00 |
| England | ||||||
| Nottinghamshire | 15,651 | 2,762 | 9,187,601.00 | 632 | 2,927,839.00 | 12,115,440.00 |
| Yorkshire | 35,212 | 6,185 | 21,101,636.00 | 1,986 | 9,168,084.00 | 30,269,720.00 |
| North East | 18,924 | 3,352 | 12,700,838.00 | 526 | 2,705,057.00 | 15,405,895.00 |
| North West | 7,624 | 1,275 | 4,290,278.00 | 278 | 1,474,621.00 | 5,764,899.00 |
| Midlands | 13,689 | 2,893 | 9,167,806.00 | 505 | 2,545,070.00 | 11,712,876.00 |
| South | 3,440 | 554 | 1,833,875.00 | 87 | 465,380.00 | 2,299,255.00 |
| Other | 777 | 21 | 69,508.00 | 3 | 11,194.00 | 80,702.00 |
| Total | 133,529 | 25,254 | 85,571,943.00 | 5,278 | 24,753,331.00 | 110,325,274.00 |
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 119W
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 121W
30 Jan 2001 : Column: 121W
| Postal region | £ million |
|---|---|
| Wales | |
| South Wales | 51.6 |
| Other | 1.4 |
| Scotland | |
| Fife | 4.4 |
| Other | 18.7 |
| England | |
| Nottinghamshire | 42.3 |
| Yorkshire | 97 |
| North East | 70.1 |
| North West | 11.8 |
| Midlands | 24.9 |
| South | 4.6 |
| Other | 0.2 |
| Total | 327 |
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