House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 25 Feb 2002 (pt 48)

Energy and Lobbying Companies

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 63W, on meetings with energy companies and lobbying companies, what criteria she uses to decide whether to place records of his meetings in the public domain; and if she will make a statement. [36997]

Ms Hewitt: The criteria are set out in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. I have no plans to make a statement.

Public Private Partnerships

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which public private partnerships with a capital value in excess of £1 million are under negotiation by her Department; and if she will make a statement. [36369]

Ms Hewitt: There are no PPP contracts currently under negotiation in my Department.

TRIPS Agreement

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans the Government have to propose revisions to the TRIPS agreement regarding the patenting of staple food crops under WTO rules; [36462]

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Ms Hewitt: The TRIPS agreement confirms the established principle that it is not possible to be granted a valid patent for something which is already known. According to this principle, neither naturally occurring genetic resources as they exist in the natural environment, nor related traditional knowledge can constitute patentable matters in themselves. Genetic resources such as staple food crops can serve as a basis from which inventions may be developed. Those inventions may be subject to intellectual property rights, and in particular patents.

With the UK's agreement and that of our EU partner, the European Commission presented a communication to the TRIPS Council dated in April 2001 concerning the two most relevant international agreements in this field: the TRIPS agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The document bears World Trade Organisation reference IP/C/W/254 and a copy is available in the Libraries of the House.

This communication highlights the role of patents in encouraging and protecting technical inventions based on genetic resources, and invites all WTO Members to bring forward proposals to address their specific concerns.

In addition to the World Trade Organisation, issues concerning intellectual property rights and access to genetic resources, including staple food crops, are also under discussion in an Intergovernmental Committee set up by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Government have also set up a Commission on Intellectual Property Rights to look at how intellectual property rights can work better for poor people and developing countries. It is due to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development in June.

Any plans to propose revision of the TRIPS agreement will depend on the outcome of these activities.

Liabilities Management Authority

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what liaison her Department's Liabilities Management Unit has with the ALFA Group within BNFL. [36471]

Mr. Wilson: When established, I expect the Department's Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) and the ALFA Group within BNFL to have a close working relationship. One of the LMU's roles will be to monitor BNFL's performance and the ALFA Group will be the LMU's main contact point within BNFL. I expect the two bodies to work together to develop new measures and approaches aimed at improving BNFL's performance as a liabilities manager and delivering the sharper focus on clean up which the Government wish to achieve.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she plans to transfer the UK Atomic Energy Authority laboratories at Sellafield to the new Liabilities Management Authority. [36473]

Mr. Wilson: As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry indicated in her statement to the House on 28 November 2001, the Liabilities

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Management Authority will be responsible for all public sector civil nuclear liabilities. This will include all of the UK Atomic Energy Authority's liabilities including those at Windscale (adjacent to Sellafield).

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether current contracts for Thorp and SMP at Sellafield will be made public as part of the transparency process in setting up the Liabilities Management Authority. [36470]

Mr. Wilson: The contracts between BNFL and its customers for Thorp and SMP are commercially confidential.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken to recruit a director for the Liabilities Management Authority. [36472]

Mr. Wilson: The Liabilities Management Authority will be established by legislation. No action will be taken to recruit a Director for the Authority until the founding legislation has been scrutinised by Parliament and has passed Second Reading in the House of Commons.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to establish an embryonic board for the Liabilities Management Authority. [36474]

Mr. Wilson: The Liabilities Management Authority will be established by legislation. No action will be taken to recruit board members for the Authority until the founding legislation has been scrutinised by Parliament and has passed Second Reading in the House of Commons.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources have been committed by her Department to the establishment and development of the New Liabilities Management Unit. [36469]

Mr. Wilson: My officials have had discussions with BNFL about working relationships between the Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) and the company and action is in hand to recruit senior staff and to appoint a partner contractor with top quality technical, operational and strategic management skills. As yet, however, no decision has been taken about the overall composition of the LMU or its budget.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the shadow Liabilities Management agency will be covered by the rules governing non- departmental public bodies. [36466]

Mr. Wilson: I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Liabilities Management Unit which is currently being set up.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry indicated in her statement to the House on 28 November 2001 that DTI would strengthen its existing capacity for overseeing work on the nuclear legacy prior to the creation of the Liabilities Management Authority. The Department is creating a Liabilities Management Unit to play this role.

The Unit will be part of the Department and, therefore, not covered by the rules governing non-departmental public bodies.

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Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's liabilities management unit with specific reference to (a) its role, (b) its level of staff, (c) its annual budget and (d) the expected length of its existence. [37083]

Mr. Wilson: The Department's Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) is in the process of being established. Action is in hand to recruit senior staff and to appoint a partner contractor with top quality technical, operational and strategic management skills. As yet, however, no decision has been taken about the overall composition of the LMU or its budget.

The LMU is intended to strengthen DTI's capacity for overseeing work on the nuclear legacy prior to the creation of the proposed Liabilities Management Authority (LMA). This includes, in particular, acquiring a more detailed knowledge of BNFL liabilities and working with BNFL to develop measures for monitoring BNFL's performance as a liabilities manager.

We envisage that the LMU will be wound up once the LMA is operational.

Imported Equipment

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures her Department takes to detect imported equipment which is sold as British- made. [36832]

Ms Hewitt: It is an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 to describe goods in a false or misleading way as to their origin. The Act also prohibits the importation of goods falsely marked as to their origin. Local authority trading standards officers have the powers to investigate and where necessary prosecute offences under the Act. The prohibition on importation is enforced by HM Customs and Excise at ports of entry.

Regional Development

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses the RDA helped to set up in (a) Somerset and (b) the South West region in 1999–2000. [36455]

Alan Johnson: The RDA has no direct delivery role in relation to business start-ups. It does, however, have a strategic role in creating an environment where businesses can start, survive and grow in the region. The Agency works with regional public and private sector partners, including the Small Business Service and Business Links, developing collaborative networks to integrate the work of all those agencies that provide support to business in the region.

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