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Departmental Secondments (Energy Industry)
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff were seconded between (a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Enron, (d) Exxon-Mobil, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf and her Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33201]
Ms Hewitt: Centrally held records show the numbers of secondments to and from each of the companies listed in the years specified as:
| Name | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BP Amoco | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| BP | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shell | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Enron | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exxon Mobil | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Conoco | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Texaco | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TotalFinaElf | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Name | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BP Amoco | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| BP Gas Marketing Ltd. | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Shell | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Enron | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exxon Mobil | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Conoco | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Texaco | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TotalFinaElf | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Independent Non-executive Directors
Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to encourage companies to appoint independent non-executive directors. [35187]
Ms Hewitt: The Government's approach to this issue was set out in the pre-Budget report, which stated:
- "The Myners review highlighted the importance of non-executive directors in UK corporate governance. The Company Law Review drew attention to a growing body of evidence from the US suggesting that companies with a strong contingent of non-executives produce superior performance. The Government recognises the importance of continued progress in this area, and of developing further the role of strong, independent non-executive directors within the present best practice framework of corporate governance for quoted companies."
BNFL
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many copies of BNFL Inc.'s 1998 accounts were (a) printed and (b) distributed by BNFL Inc. [34635]
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Mr. Wilson: This is a matter for BNFL. I have asked the chief executive of BNFL to write to the hon. Gentleman.
Secondments
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff were seconded between (a) PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst and Young, (c) Deloitte and Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and her Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33865]
Ms Hewitt: Centrally held records show the numbers of secondments to and from each of the companies listed in the years specified as:
| Company name | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | April 2001 to date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ernst and Young | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Deloitte and Touche | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| KPMG | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Andersen | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Secondments from DTI
There were no secondments to the companies listed from the DTI in the periods covered.
Office of Fair Trading
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a code of conduct exists for the Office of Fair Trading when investigating complaints against companies; and if she will make a statement. [33049]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 4 February 2002]: The conduct of the Office of Fair Trading is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading.
Ispat International
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list meetings between (a) Department Ministers and (b) senior departmental officials and representatives of Ispat International between May 1997 and December 2001, indicating the date of each meeting. [33115]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 4 February 2002]: Ministers, special advisers and officials in my Department regularly meet a wide range of representatives from business. However, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's reply of 19 November 2001 Official Report, column 102W makes clear, it is not normal practice to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings were held between her Department and representatives of LNM/Ispat International since May 1997. [36739]
Ms Hewitt: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance
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with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release specific details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.
Broadband
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of companies had access to broadband technology in (a) St. Helens South, (b) the St. Helens MBC area, (c) Merseyside, (d) Manchester, (e) the North-West RDA area, (f) the other RDA areas and (g) England in each of the last three years. [35421]
Mr. Alexander: A map showing geographical availability of broadband services can be found in the UK online annual report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Research and Development
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of private sector investment in research and development as a share of GDP was made in (a) St. Helens South, (b) the St. Helens MBC area, (c) Merseyside, (d) Manchester, (e) the North-West RDA area, (f) other RDA areas and (g) England in each of the last 12 months. [35412]
Mr. Wilson: Data on research and development (R&D) spending are not available on a monthly basis or for the exact geographies requested. The Office for National Statistics do, however, conduct an annual survey of R&D performed in business enterprise (BERD). Sub-regional data are available from this survey for 2000 but GDP is only available at a Government office region level (equivalent to RDA regions) for 1999 and at a sub-regional level for 1998. The table only covers own-funded BERD ie R&D performed in that region which was funded by the companies themselves (and not by Government or from abroad). Further details on the BERD survey can be found on www.statistics.gov.uk/ downloads/theme—commerce/MA14–2000.pdf.
(1) Not available
Source:
National Statistics
14 Feb 2002 : Column 527W
Asbestos
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimate her Department has made of the cost of removing white asbestos from commercial and domestic buildings in the UK. [35383]
Mr. Wilson: We do not have data on white asbestos contained in buildings and therefore do not have data on the cost of its removal.
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