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British Energy

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the extent is of foreign ownership of British (a) gas and oil exploration, (b) electricity generation, (c) oil supply, (d) gas supply, (e) electricity supply and (f) other energy industries. [89569]

Mr. Wilson: The information is as follows:

(a) Gas and oil exploration is carried out by a range of private companies, most of which operate on a global basis. It would not be meaningful to measure offshore activity in this way, and we do not attempt to do so.

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(b) Based on 2001 volumes of generation and current company ownership, around 55 per cent. of UK electricity generation is foreign owned.

(c) The international nature of the oil market makes this difficult to calculate. Based on 2001 figures, around two-thirds of the oil products produced by oil refineries located in the UK were produced by refineries in foreign ownership (Shell has been treated as British). However, not all of this production is consumed within the UK, and the UK also imports refined products. It is not possible to determine how much of the traded oil products came from foreign-owned oil refineries.

(d) Based on 2001 gas supply figures and current company ownership, around 25 per cent of downstream gas supply is the responsibility of non-UK companies.

(e) Based on 2001 volumes of supply and current company ownership, around 65 per cent. of UK supply is foreign owned.

(f) Information provided by The Coal Authority, based on their principal licensees only, shows that in terms of coal production in 2001, the entire UK coal industry is under UK control.

British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers

Association

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association. [91842]

Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not had any recent discussions with the British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association. However, officials in the Department maintain contact with the Association, and regularly discuss a wide range of issues of concern to the sector.

Debt

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the progress of the National Debtline. [90847]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The National Debtline aims to deliver free specialist debt advice and a debt repayment planning service to consumers in financial difficulty. I launched the pilot project on 14 March 2002. It was funded with £1 million from the Invest to Save Budget, and £50,000 each from the DTI, Scottish Executive and the Lord Chancellor's Department. The credit industry contributed a further £850,000.

As of 14 January 2003, the National Debtline had given advice to 22,648 clients (from telephone, e-mail and face-to-face services). Of these, 19,582 clients were from England, 1,853 from Scotland and 984 from Wales.

My officials are currently carrying out an evaluation of the National Debtline, which will establish:

the strength of the business case for national, independent, free, telephone money advice services; and


the best balance between a single national contact centre and smaller centres around the country.

Motor Industry

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received about skills shortages in the retail motor industry. [92652]

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Alan Johnson: I receive regular representations about skills shortages in a wide range of sectors, including the retail motor industry. I was therefore pleased that a development contract has been granted for the Automotive Skills Council, which is designed to address critical skills issues in this sector.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect of the Government's Supply of New Cars Order 2000. [92651]

Alan Johnson: Responsibility for monitoring the Supply of New Cars Order 2000 and investigating allegations of anti-competitive behaviour lies with the Director General of Fair Trading.

One of the main provisions of the Order is designed to ensure that manufacturers do not unjustifiably discriminate between discounts for fleet customers and dealers. The OFT's most recent investigation was published on 29 January 2002. The OFT found that in that particular case, the anti-discrimination rules had not been broken. The OFT will continue to monitor compliance with the Order and investigate any complaints.

Nuclear Industry

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the value is of British Energy's Decommissioning Fund; and what the value was in each year since 1993; [91926]

(2) how much British Energy has paid into the Decommissioning Fund in each year since 1995. [91922]

Mr. Wilson: The Nuclear Decommissioning Fund was established in 1996 when British Energy was privatised. The value of, and British Energy's annual contribution to, the Fund are reported annually in the company's report and accounts. On 28 November 2002, British Energy announced a restructuring proposal intended to achieve the long-term viability of the company, including new and enhanced arrangements to fund decommissioning and other back-end nuclear liabilities. The proposal is currently being considered by the company's creditors. A copy of the company's announcement was placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2003, Official Report, column 152W, on post offices, if she will list the post office closures which were put out to consultation on (a) 29 November and (b) 16 December 2002. [91273]

Mr. Timms: Proposals put out to consultation for post office closures under the urban network reinvention are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Sub-Post Offices

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect of Automated Credit Transfer on sub-post office revenue. [91999]

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Mr. Timms: The current value to Post Office Ltd. of encashment business from the Department for Work and Pensions is some £400 million a year. The migration of benefit payment to Automated Credit Transfer (ACT) begins this year and the Post Office's strategy is to respond to that challenge with a range of banking and other services. How the migration of benefit payments affects the revenue of sub-post offices will depend on a number of factors, not least how benefit recipients and other post office customers respond to change. But the contract for the Post Office card account is potentially worth £1 billion to Post Office Ltd. over its 10-year lifetime.

Zimbabwe (Trading Links)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the United Kingdom companies who had trading links with Zimbabwe in 2002. [92058]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 January 2003]: Trade Partners UK does not hold comprehensive information on UK companies trading with, or investing in, Zimbabwe.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to United Kingdom companies to end trading links with Zimbabwe. [92059]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 January 2003]: I have not made any representations to UK companies to end trading links with Zimbabwe. Her Majesty's Government do not favour economic sanctions. These would harm the people of Zimbabwe and the region at a time of humanitarian crisis, while having little impact on the ZANU (PF) leadership.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Running Costs

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available. [90716]

Dr. Howells: Detailed information on administration costs for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Parks Agency, going back to 1998–99 and with projections to 2003–04, is set out in the table on page 106 of the 2002 departmental report (Cm 5423). Data for years before 1998–99 are not readily available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001–02 Provisional Outturn (Cm 5574), Tables 4 and 5. Updated information, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.

Entertainment Licences

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of events that took place in places of

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public religious worship in 2002, which under the new proposals would require an entertainment licence; and if she will make a statement. [92332]

Dr. Howells: The Department has made no estimate of the number of events that currently take place in places of public religious worship.

However, as I stated in the House of Commons on 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 517, the Government have made a commitment to reconsider their position on the licensing of churches and will announce their conclusions as soon as possible.

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