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Doha
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement in respect of UK involvement in the follow up to Doha. [48619]
Ms Hewitt: We are working hard to implement all of our commitments in respect of the Doha Ministerial Declaration together with our European partners and other WTO members.
ADSL Lines
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the (a) provision of ADSL lines in Wales and (b) future development of that provision. [47614]
Mr. Alexander: ADSL is not the only technology for the delivery of broadband, and a map showing availability of broadband including cable modem services is contained
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in the UK Online annual report (December 2001) and has been placed in the Libraries of the House. I have recently challenged BT to extend ADSL coverage within the United Kingdom.
Social Chapter
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the total cost to business of the Social Chapter since it was implemented; and if she will make a statement. [46853]
Alan Johnson: European directives adopted as a result of the Social Chapter for which my Department is responsible are parental leave, part-time work, the European works councils, the fixed term contract, information and consultation of employees and the working time (excluded sectors) directives. The directive on the burden of proof in sex discrimination is the responsibility of the Women and Equality Unit at Cabinet Office.
I refer the hon. Member to answer given on 26 March 2002, Official Report, columns 807–809, which gave the costs of the regulations implementing the parental leave, part-time work and the European works councils directives.
The fixed term contract, information and consultation of employees and the working time (excluded sectors) directives have not yet been implemented. Estimated costs for the fixed term contract directive are to be found in the consultation document URN 02/547 published in January 2002 and estimated costs for the Information and Consultation of Employees were attached to the Explanatory Memorandum 13099–98 of 15 January 1999. Both documents are in the Library of the House. A regulatory impact assessment for the working time directive (excluded sectors) will be prepared prior to going out to consultation on the implementing regulations next year.
The regulatory impact assessment to the burden of proof directive in Sex Discrimination (Council Directive 97/80/EC) is also available in the Libraries of the House.
Dog and Cat Fur
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to European Commissioner Byrne regarding his proposed ban on the import into the EU of domestic dog and cat fur; and if she will make a statement. [48170]
Ms Hewitt: The Commission, like the UK Government are aware of some concerns on animal welfare grounds of the import into the EU of domestic cat and dog fur. We understand there are presently no Commission proposals to ban these products. The UK Government, as my noble Friend the Minister for Trade said in a statement to the Lords and in a letter to all Members of Parliament last November, has undertaken to explore the current situation in the UK before considering the issue on the grounds of what is practical, proportionate and enforceable.
Wind Farm (Cefn Croes)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many letters her Department received (a) in favour of and (b) opposing the decision on developing a wind farm site at Cefn Croes in Wales. [48595]
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Mr. Wilson: Pursuant to the Electricity (Applications for Consent) Regulations 1990, the Department received the following:
- Letters of objection—257
Petitions against—586 signatures
Letters of support—106
Petitions for—215 signatures.
Polyester Film Products
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations have been made to the EU on the implications for UK jobs of dumping of polyester film products by Indian manufacturers. [48007]
Ms Hewitt: My Department has received no recent representations from UK industry on this matter, and have made no recent representations to the European Commission. European Community definitive anti- dumping measures were imposed on imports of polyester film from India on 24 August 2001.
Chapelcross Power Station
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the date of decommissioning of Chapelcross power station. [48009]
Mr. Wilson: I am advised by BNFL that closure of the Chapelcross nuclear power station is currently projected to take place between 2008 and 2010. It is anticipated that decommissioning will begin immediately thereafter.
Structural Funding
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions she has had with the European Commission about the Structural Funds after 2006; [47973]
- (2) what her philosophy is on the underlying principles which will determine EU regional policy after 2006. [47974]
Alan Johnson: Although the debate on the future of European cohesion policy post 2006 has started, very few national governments have so far committed themselves to a particular position.
The next reform of the Structural Funds must ensure that they contribute better to the Lisbon agenda of improving Europe's competitiveness and modernising its economies. I believe that improvements are needed in both the effectiveness of the funds and the means to evaluate their impact and added value. Also, greater efforts must be made to simplify the funds and remove unnecessary bureaucracy, while maintaining proper financial control.
While my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not attended any formal discussions with the European Commission on this issue, officials in the Department of Trade and Industry have participated in a number of relevant meetings and events including the Cohesion Forum organised by the
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Commission in Brussels in May 2001. In addition, I attended the Namur Informal Council on Regional Policy in July of last year. In May of this year officials in the Department will participate in the Commission's seminars on the 10 priorities highlighted in the "Second Cohesion Report" in May.
Accounting Companies
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the extent of competition between accounting companies; and if she will refer to the competition authorities the five largest firms which operate in the United Kingdom. [48305]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Under UK competition legislation, the Director General of Fair Trading is responsible for monitoring markets and considering allegations of anti competitive behaviour. The Director General is best placed to consider these issues.
Petrol Prices
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the average figures for European unleaded petrol in each country of the EU in price per litre, with the amount of tax paid and the percentage of tax this represents. [45814]
Mr. Wilson: The latest available information for unleaded petrol prices and taxes is for December 2001 and is shown in the table.
| Pump price | Amount of tax | Tax component per cent. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 56.19 | 41.19 | 73 |
| Belgium | 61.61 | 45.38 | 74 |
| Denmark | 58.18 | 44.79 | 77 |
| Finland | 41.35 | 24.88 | 60 |
| France | 45.36 | 29.29 | 65 |
| Germany | 58.75 | 45.20 | 77 |
| Greece | 49.34 | 29.82 | 60 |
| Ireland | 61.33 | 43.81 | 71 |
| Italy | 43.82 | 27.76 | 63 |
| Luxembourg | 65.05 | 48.09 | 74 |
| Netherlands | 50.99 | 34.21 | 67 |
| Portugal | 56.58 | 26.15 | 46 |
| Spain | 63.93 | 46.22 | 72 |
| Sweden | 56.71 | 41.19 | 73 |
| United Kingdom | 69.27 | 56.14 | 81 |
(103) Prices converted to pounds sterling using mid-December exchange rates.
Source:
European Commission Oil Bulletin
Electronic Procurement
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the result is of the scoping study for the delivery of electronic procurement. [47327]
Ms Hewitt: The scoping study took account of developments in the IT market and recommended some interim steps to be taken as part of developing a way forward on e-procurement within the Department. The Department is now involved in an e-procurement pilot with OGC which is due to conclude at the end of June.
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