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Business Promotion
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what visits to promote British business Ministers from her Department have made to the candidate countries of the European Union in the last six months; and what plans Ministers in her Department have to visit those countries in the next six months. [58119]
Ms Hewitt: In the last six months three visits were made by Ministers from my Department to the candidate countries of the European Union. Two more are planned in the coming six months.
Mauban Power Plant
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which United Kingdom companies the Export Credits Guarantee Department (a) is supporting and (b) has previously supported regarding the (i) Mauban power plant and (ii) transmission networks associated with the Mauban power plant in the Philippines. [58361]
Ms Hewitt: ECGD has not provided any support nor has it received any applications or inquiries from any UK company in respect of the Mauban power plant and/or the associated transmission networks.
Criminal Offences
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many criminal offences have been (a) created and (b) abolished by her Department since 1997. [55424]
Ms Hewitt: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Parliamentary Advisers
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) names and (b) responsibilities are of parliamentary advisers appointed to serve her Department. [56988]
Ms Hewitt: Ministers in this Department have made no such appointments.
Land Mines
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations she has made into the manufacture and foreign sale of fragmentation grenade land mines by P.W. Defence Ltd. [57983]
Mr. Boateng: I have been asked to reply.
Investigation of allegations relating to the international supply, or intended supply, of anti-personnel mines is a matter for HM Customs and Excise. Customs are fully aware of recent allegations. However, it is not Customs' general practice to comment publicly about the existence or nature of any investigations of individuals or companies not yet accused of criminal offences. To do so could risk prejudicing any on-going inquiries or future criminal proceedings.
Investigation of allegations relating to the manufacture, within the United Kingdom, of anti-personnel mines is a matter for the police.
Energy Products Tax Directive
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her policy towards Commission proposals for the adoption of an energy products tax directive. [57895]
Mr. Boateng: I have been asked to reply.
The Government support the principle of an energy products directive, recognising the benefits of co-ordination of environmental taxes at EU level. This is needed to solve cross-border environmental problems, such as global warming, where member states need to act together to prevent a lack of EU action undermining the achievement of environmental objectives through member states' own national tax policies.
But the Government attached great importance to addressing fuel poverty, and would not support any directive which would require the UK to introduce new taxes on domestic energy.
ADVOCATE-GENERAL
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General (1) what the cost was to her Department of answering written parliamentary questions in 2001; and how that cost was calculated; [49108]
(2) how many staff were involved in each of the last three years in preparing draft answers to written parliamentary questions. [49150]
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The Advocate-General: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council on 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 929W.
SCOTLAND
Publicity
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the publicity and advertising campaigns run by her Department in each of the last four years, specifying the (a) purpose, (b) cost to public funds, (c) number of staff involved and (d) method of evaluation in each case. [39090]
Mrs. Liddell: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member on 22 April 2002, Official Report, column 68W.
The information requested on the number of staff involved and the method of evaluation in each case is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what the cost was to her Department of answering written parliamentary questions in 2001; and how that cost was calculated; [49107]
- (2) how many staff were involved in each of the last three years in preparing draft answers to written parliamentary questions. [49149]
Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council on 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 929W.
Sunset Clauses
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Bills introduced by her Department in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans she has for the future use of such clauses. [49625]
Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since then, no primary legislation has been introduced by my Department.
Road Fuels
Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what studies she has carried out into availability of motor transport fuels in rural areas; and if she will make a statement; [53469]
- (2) what discussions she has held with the Scottish Executive since January on the (a) provision of motor transport fuels and (b) pricing of fuels; and if she will make a statement. [53470]
Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 1 May 2002]: I have regular discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on a wide range of issues.
I understand that Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in co-operation with Scottish Enterprise, is undertaking a study into the availability of LPG in Scotland. We expect this study to report its findings in July this year.
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If the wholesale or retail price for vehicle fuel raises competition concerns it should be brought to the attention of the Director General of Fair Trading, who is responsible for investigating allegations of anti- competitive behaviour. The Director General has investigated allegations of differential pricing in Highlands and Islands by oil companies and has found that the competition legislation has not been breached.
The issue of the level of fuel taxation needs to be reviewed in the context of the overall cost of motoring taxes. Independent research commissioned by my Department has shown that the levels of taxation paid by private motorists in Scotland are lower than in other European countries such as Netherlands, Finland, Ireland and even Portugal.
The Scottish Executive assists rural petrol stations through the operation of the rural petrol station grant (RPSG) scheme. This scheme aims to help maintain a network of rural petrol stations by assisting rural petrol stations to meet the cost of tank and pump replacement and to deal with ground water problems. This was expanded to include the installation of LPG tanks and dispensers in 2000. To date, 41 rural petrol stations have been supported under the RPSG scheme. Total awards made since the scheme commenced in 1998 are now £856,765.
Criminal Cases Review Commission
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications have been received by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission; how many have been processed; how many have been referred to the Court of Appeal; and with what result. [54175]
Mrs. Liddell: The functions of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission are devolved. It is required to submit a report to the Scottish Ministers at the end of each financial year.
Fraud
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the estimated level of losses to fraud and corruption was in (a) her Department's Vote 1 budget and (b) her Department's Vote 2 budget for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01. [54696]
Mrs. Liddell: No fraud or corruption was recorded in my Department in 1999–2000 and 2000–01.
Disclosure of Interests
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what rules apply to the disclosure of interests on the part of those serving on public bodies which are responsible to her Department. [56465]
Mrs. Liddell: All advisory and executive non- departmental public bodies are required to adopt a board members' code, based on guidance produced by the Cabinet Office, and they should have registers of interests. The definition of interests is ultimately for individual Departments since they are best placed to decide what might be thought to influence members of their non- departmental public bodies.
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The Scotland Office sponsors one NDPB, the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The relevant code of practice, "Boundary Commission for Scotland Code of Practice for Commissioners" is currently being produced and will be available shortly on the Commission's website at www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk.
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