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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:








No proposals from the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations are identified in the Communications White Paper.

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:

Vibration white finger assessment centres

CentreDate opened
Barnsley(15)November 1999
BirminghamFebruary 2000
Cardiff(16)September 2000
DerbySeptember 2000
DoncasterTo open in March 2001
EdinburghOctober 1999(17)
GlasgowSeptember 1999
ManchesterJanuary 2000
Mansfield 1(16)September 1999
Mansfield 2July 2000
Newcastle(15)August 1999
Nottingham 1January 2000
Nottingham 2(15)May 2000
SheffieldAugust 1999
StokeMarch 2000(17)
SwanseaMarch 2000
WakefieldDecember 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.

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Respiratory disease medical assessment process centres

CentreDate opened
AmmanfordTo open in March 2001
AyrApril 2000
Barnsley 1March 2000
Barnsley 2January 2001
BristolMay 2000(18)
CannockApril 2000
ChesterfieldFebruary 2000
CoventryJanuary 2000
DealMay 2000
DurhamMarch 2000
EdinburghMarch 2000
GlasgowMarch 2000
HuddersfieldFebruary 2000
LeedsMay 2000
LochoreJanuary 2000
ManchesterFebruary 2000
MansfieldFebruary 2000
MexboroughFebruary 2000
Mountain Ash 1January 2000
Mountain Ash 2January 2000
NewcastleJanuary 2000
NewportJanuary 2000
NottinghamJanuary 2000
PontefractFebruary 2000
SheffieldJanuary 2000
SterlingDecember 2000
StokeApril 2000
SwanseaJanuary 2000
WiganJune 2000
WrexhamMarch 2000
Ystrad MynachTo 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

Respiratory Disease

Interim payments Expedited payments Total amount paid
Postal regionTotal claimsNumber of claims£Number of claims££
Wales
South Wales26,5795,81920,237,171.007533,747,038.0023,984,209.00
Other1,126273931,169.00423,014.00954,183.00
Scotland
Fife2,2195551,489,648.00140438,057.001,927,705.00
Other8,2881,5654,562,413.003641,247,977.005,810,390,00
England
Nottinghamshire15,6512,7629,187,601.006322,927,839.0012,115,440.00
Yorkshire35,2126,18521,101,636.001,9869,168,084.0030,269,720.00
North East18,9243,35212,700,838.005262,705,057.0015,405,895.00
North West7,6241,2754,290,278.002781,474,621.005,764,899.00
Midlands13,6892,8939,167,806.005052,545,070.0011,712,876.00
South3,4405541,833,875.0087465,380.002,299,255.00
Other7772169,508.00311,194.0080,702.00
Total133,52925,25485,571,943.005,27824,753,331.00110,325,274.00

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 119W

Vibration White Finger

Interim payments Final payments Total amount paid
Postal regionTotal claimsNumber of claims£Number of claims££
Wales
South Wales15,3892,37711,141,344.002,60316,471,143.0027,612,487.00
Other41166261,730.0035194,511.00456,241.00
Scotland
Fife1,4853271,353,546.001871,103,196.002,456,742.00
Other6,1241,3935,712,138.001,6057,135,020.0012,847,158.00
England
Nottinghamshire18,7983,47316,272,636.002,04013,935,572.0030,208,208.00
Yorkshire37,8577,32238,156,122.003,96528,543,021.0066,699,143.00
North East19,2795,09028,123,557.003,43326,534,030.0054,657,586.00
North West3,7628673,505,691.004332,523,166.006,028,857.00
Midlands10,9561,8618,491,824.008214,675,198.0013,167,023.00
South1,7852971,509,194.00146765,367.002,247,562.00
Other2681046,979.00540,553.0087,532.00
Total116,11423,083114,574,762.0015,086101,920,778.00216,495,540.00

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 121W

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 121W

Total payments made relating to both compensation for respiratory disease and Vibration White Finger

Postal region£ million
Wales
South Wales51.6
Other1.4
Scotland
Fife4.4
Other18.7
England
Nottinghamshire42.3
Yorkshire97
North East70.1
North West11.8
Midlands24.9
South4.6
Other0.2
Total327


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