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Industrial Growth
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which industrial sectors within the UK she estimates have the greatest growth potential. [63804]
Ms Hewitt: The Department does not make predictions about which UK sectors have the greatest growth potential. We look at a range of factors that impact on productivity and competitiveness across the UK economy.
Export Licences
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list those countries which have during the last 12 months imported defence equipment from the USA which incorporates equipment exported from the UK to the USA following the granting of an export licence by her Department. [69110]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation does not hold records on actual exports of defence equipment from the USA to a third country.
All relevant export licence applications, including where it is understood that the items are to be incorporated into products for onward export, are rigorously assessed on a case by case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 8 July 2002, Official Report, columns 650–52W.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will determine export licence application 33863 in respect of (a) an order for CHAFF and (b) a repeat order for defensive infra-red flares. [70794]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 19 July 2002]: Licences to export arms and other items whose export is controlled for strategic reasons are issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry acting through the Export Control Organisation.
A decision has not yet been reached on export licence application 33863, but will be taken as quickly as possible consistent with the need to give full consideration to the issues involved.
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E-Commerce
Mr. Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps she is taking to encourage the private sector to invest and participate in the consumer market for e-commerce services; and if she will make a statement; [71599]
- (2) what steps she is taking to encourage the private sector e-commerce and software industries to serve the public; and if she will make a statement. [71598]
Mr. Timms: The Government recognise the importance and the potential of ICT industries which increasingly underpin much of what is happening elsewhere in the economy. There are many initiatives under way, often in partnership with industry, that aim to encourage growth and awareness of e-commerce and the ICT industries, including UK online for business, the Information Age Partnership and e-Shopping.
Open Source Software
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is towards using open source software; and what percentage is used in her Department. [69329]
Ms Hewitt: I support the use of open source software where it would provide long-term benefits to the Department.
To date, there is minimal use of open source software in the Department's core IT services, but UNITAS regularly review whether its application would benefit the Department and if this is found to be the case, its introduction would be supported.
The Office of Government Commerce and the Office of the eEnvoy have published a draft policy on the use of open source software which was made available for consultation from December 2001 until March 2002. The draft policy is available for viewing on the OeE Govtalk website reference http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/rfc/rfc–document.asp?docnum=429 and it is planned to publish the policy in summer 2002. The DTI's use of open source software will follow the Government Policy when published.
Computer Hacking
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of computer hacking her Department has recorded in 2002; and on how many occasions in 2002 her Department's computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers operating (a) within and (b) outside her Department. [69454]
Ms Hewitt: During 2002, there have been no reported or detected occasions that my Department's computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers, either from within or outside.
Policy Review of Fusion
Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government will publish the findings of the Policy Review of Fusion. [68858]
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Mr. Wilson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: The findings of the Policy Review of Fusion were incorporated into the report on the Quinquennial Review of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, published on 28 November 2001, and as such are already in the public domain.
BNFL
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the viability of BNFL's business plan of 2000. [66100]
Mr. Wilson: The Department and its advisers review BNFL's Corporate Plan annually as part of the strategic oversight of the company. The 2000 plan was subject to a review as part of that process.
Uranium Mining
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received from (a) UK non-governmental organisations, (b) non-UK non-governmental organisations and (c) other Governments regarding (i) uranium mines, (ii) uranium milling plants, and (iii) uranium tailing waste disposal facilities from which the United Kingdom has obtained its mined uranium. [69442]
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent information she has received and what measures she has in place to monitor the health and safety of workers and environmental standards at (a) uranium mines, (b) uranium milling plants and (c) uranium tailing waste disposal facilities from which the United Kingdom has obtained its mined uranium. [69452]
Mr. Wilson: None. You should take up any issue about the environment with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and any issues on health and safety of workers with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.
Nuclear Power
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's policy regarding unfulfilled overseas nuclear fuel contracts; and what the expected cost overruns are in respect of these contracts. [66101]
Mr. Wilson: I am assuming the question relates to existing contracts between BNFL and overseas electricity utilities for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rather than to contracts for the supply of fresh fuel. The Government's position is that these contracts are binding, are supported by intergovernmental agreements and should be honoured. Details of contract prices, operating costs and throughput schedules are a commercial matter for BNFL and its customers.
Sellafield
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations her Department
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has received regarding (a) current leakage levels of technetium-99 into groundwater at Sellafield and (b) the point source origin of such leakage. [69505]
Mr. Wilson: None. However, I have replied to two previous questions on this matter tabled by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 13 May 2002, Official Report, column 80 and my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith) on 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 562.
Nuclear Reactor Safety
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations her Department has received concerning nuclear reactor safety regulations reform; and if she will make a statement. [69444]
Mr. Wilson: In the course of its regular contacts with companies in the nuclear industry, my Department has received representations in recent months on aspects of the nuclear safety regulatory system. Where appropriate, I have taken these into account in the White Paper 'Managing the Nuclear Legacy' published on 4 July, which also made reference to the joint review being undertaken on nuclear regulation by the Government's advisory committees, the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee and the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee. I look forward to receiving comments on the White Paper, including its consideration of regulatory issues, by the closing date for consultation, 18 October.
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