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Consignia
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the timescale for the appointment of the new chairman for Consignia. [35298]
Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Brian Cotter) on 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 72W.
Manufacturing Industry
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from the manufacturing industry on the effect of the level of the pound against the euro since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [35301]
Mr. Wilson: I and my ministerial colleagues understand the difficulties that the weakness of the euro and the slowdown in the world economy are causing for British industry, particularly manufacturing. We often receive representations from manufacturers on a wide range of issues, including those relating to the euro, and we value their insights.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of manufacturing industry. [35626]
Mr. Wilson: The stable macro-economic framework we have established—together with our policies to promote the spread of best practice, encourage innovation, raise skills levels and improve the transfer of ideas from the science base—are the best way to ensure the future competitiveness of the UK's manufacturing industry.
Combined Heat and Power
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that
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the Government's CHP target is reflected in her Department's aims and objectives on sustainable development; and when she intends to issue them to the non-ministerial Government Departments for which she is responsible. [35387]
Mr. Wilson: I believe the question is referring to guidelines on sustainable development and I should say that my Department has not issued any such guidelines. However, the DTI's Sustainable Development Strategy was published in October 2000 and is available on the DTI website. The Government remain committed to supporting CHP and my Department is working with colleagues in DEFRA and industry to improve the economic conditions for CHP and we are actively contributing to the development of the Government's CHP strategy.
New Electricity Trading Arrangements
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the extent to which the new electricity trading arrangements are encouraging for combined heat and power and renewables. [35385]
Mr. Wilson: Ofgem's Report to DTI on the Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators issued on 31 August 2001, indicated that prices for the export of power from smaller generators had reduced by around 17 per cent. since the introduction of NETA. Ofgem also found export volumes reduced by 44 per cent. compared to a year previously. Ofgem suggested the lower export prices for electricity were one factor, but that higher costs (especially gas prices) may also have contributed.
The Government believe that NETA should form part of its longer-term aim for encouraging a move towards a more cost-reflective and efficient system within which the benefits of embedded generation are recognised.
On 1 November 2001, I issued a consultation document in response to Ofgem's reports 'The New Electricity Trading Arrangements—Review of the First Three Months' and 'Report to the DTI on the Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators' of 31 August 2001. This consultation closed on 1 December 2001.
The Government's key proposals are, broadly,
- To ensure imbalance prices are genuinely cost reflective; and
To ensure that effective consolidation services emerge.
City of London Corporation (Events)
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the functions, engagements and events which Ministers, her officials and advisers have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997. [35698]
Ms Hewitt: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Arthur Andersen/Accenture
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which partners or senior employees of (a) Andersen, (b) Arthur Andersen, (c) Andersen Consulting and (d) Accenture have been appointed to (i) informal roles giving advice to the Department of Trade and Industry, (ii) task forces reporting to the Department of Trade and Industry, (iii) ad hoc advisory groups reporting to the Department of Trade and Industry and (iv) other formal roles reporting to Department of Trade and Industry Ministers since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [32916]
Ms Hewitt: Information on the number, remit and membership of taskforces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews has been published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period between 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000, and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report: "Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews", issued in October 2001, covers the period of the financial year 2000–2001. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The Department has numerous informal contacts with its stakeholders at different levels.
Sellafield
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which radioactive materials are held in B30 nuclear waste storage ponds at Sellafield. [35999]
Mr. Wilson: I understand from the company that the pond currently holds unreprocessed used nuclear fuel residues, and intermediate level waste in the form of sludges and various solid wastes.
European Fusion Development Scheme
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the UK has given to the European fusion development scheme in the past 10 years; and what the UK's financial commitment to EFDA is in the next 10 years. [36002]
Mr. Wilson: The European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) began in 1999. Over the four-year period 1999–2002 the UK's direct contribution to EFDA activities is projected to be £23 million. In this period 1999–2002, European income to the UK under EFDA for facility operation and research is likely to be £104 million.
The budget for EFDA in the next Framework Programme (2003–06) is still under discussion and hence no commitment has yet been made.
Pakistan (Imports)
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the UK has chosen to give Pakistan a duty free assistance package rather than offering aid to Pakistan in the form of cash grants. [36249]
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Mr. Wilson: The decision by the EU to give Pakistan duty free assistance was part of a package of measures that also included a renewed EC-Pakistan Co-operation Agreement and economic assistance in the form of euro 50 million in development aid in 2002. The whole package was given in response to the exceptional economic and political circumstances faced by Pakistan as a result of its support for the coalition against terrorism following the events of 11 September.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the duty free access for finished goods originating from Pakistan will be controlled to ensure that Pakistan improves (a) working conditions, (b) environmental controls and (c) human rights. [36248]
Mr. Wilson: Pakistan will have duty free access for many products as a drugs regime country under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). This regime has comprehensive monitoring and evaluation criteria covering social development and environmental policy. Annual reports will be considered by the GSP Committee, and the European Commission will undertake a general review at end of 2004. In addition, there are provisions to withdraw any GSP country's benefits in the event of serious problems in a variety of areas, such as fraud, inadequate drug controls, human rights abuses, and labour rights violations.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the number of jobs that will be lost in the UK following the decisions by the Government and the European Union to allow duty free access for finished goods originating from Pakistan. [36251]
Mr. Wilson: An assessment carried out by my officials last October suggests that the impact of the EU decision to offer duty-free access to Pakistan for made up textiles and clothing is likely to be modest but that it is not possible to say precisely how many jobs will be affected. One reason for this is because any resulting increase in exports from Pakistan will represent at most about a 1 per cent. increase in the value of overall supply of clothing and textiles to the EU market. A second reason is that increased exports from Pakistan are in many instances likely to displace exports from other third country suppliers
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the level of imports of cloth from Indonesia and China sent via Pakistan to be made into apparel goods in order to avoid the duty payable if the cloth had been imported direct to the UK. [36247]
Mr. Wilson: No assessment has been made of the level of imports of cloth from Indonesia and China sent via Pakistan to be made into apparel goods as such goods will remain liable to full duty on entry to the UK.
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