---

7 Mar 2003 : Column 1276W—continued

Oil Reserves

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what (a) the current level and (b) the official required level of the national oil reserves is. [101161]

Mr. Wilson: Provisional data from oil companies suggest that at the end of January 2003, the UK had oil stocks equivalent to 78 days consumption of petroleum products, which is above the stock level of 67½ days worth of consumption of oil products that the UK is obliged to hold in accordance with EU legislation.

Viasystems Group

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements she has made with (a) Viasystems Group Inc and (b) others acting on its behalf in respect of the repayment of monies owed to the Government following the bankruptcy of the Viasystems Group Inc; and if she will make a statement. [96908]

Alan Johnson: We have received payments totalling £3m to date. Following Viasystems Group Inc.'s application for Chapter 11, the US court has approved

7 Mar 2003 : Column 1277W

a revised settlement agreement between the DTI, Viasystems Group Inc. and Viasystems Inc. in respect of the remaining £9 million owed to the Government. Under this agreement the £9m principal will be repaid in instalments over the period 2008–2010. The DTI will receive interest on the outstanding principal at 3 per cent. per annum through to 2008, and thereafter at Bank of England base rate plus 2 per cent.

The DTI will also seek to recover the outstanding £9 million through the realisation of its charge over the former Viasystems Tyneside Limited site in North Tyneside. Any recoveries that are made under this realisation will be applied to principal payments due under the revised settlement agreement in reverse order of maturity.

Business Insurance

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the effect of increases in the cost of insurance cover for businesses upon the competitiveness of British business; and if she will make a statement. [Transferred] [101060]

Nigel Griffiths: The Government is concerned by increases in the cost of insurance for businesses, particularly Employer's Liability Insurance (ELI). A recent survey of small businesses for the Small Business Survey found that only 2 per cent. of firms spontaneously cited insurance as a major obstacles to the success of the business, although when prompted 27 per cent. of firms said insurance was an obstacle to success. It is difficult to assess the effect on competitiveness of these increases in the cost of insurance. The Government's review of the ELI system, led by the Department for Work and Pension, aims to examine the impact of the current system on employers and make recommendations for change accordingly. It is due to report in Spring 2003; details are available at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2002/health-safety/eli-review/index.htm.

The Office of Fair Trading is currently engaged in a short study of the liability insurance market, also due to report in Spring 2003, which will help inform the Government's review of the ELI system.

Energy White Papers

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which press and broadcasting outlets were briefed on the Energy White Paper prior to its publication; and if she will set out the reasons she gave interviews to the media on the contents of the White Paper prior to her statement to Parliament. [100078]

Ms Hewitt: The Energy White Paper was laid before the House at 10am on Monday 24 February. Only after its publication did my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I jointly hold a press conference at the Department of Trade and Industry.

As I reported to the House on 24 February, Official Report, column 27W drafts of the Energy White Paper were leaked to the press ahead of the publication. Such action is a discourtesy to the House and I deplore it wholeheartedly.

7 Mar 2003 : Column 1278W

Prior to publication on the day of the White Paper I gave a limited number of broadcast interviews in which I discussed the Government's more general objectives in formulating a long-term policy for energy.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to paragraph 4.3 of the Energy White Paper, Cm 5761, what resources she plans to commit to keep open the nuclear option. [100080]

Mr. Wilson: The Energy White Paper does not rule out the possibility that at some stage in the future new nuclear build might be necessary, but does not include new measures or resources targeted at nuclear new build.

In December 2002 we published the results of a nuclear and radiological skills study. In response, a task group is being formed across the sector to develop and implement a workforce development strategy. This industry-led initiative will be important regardless of whether new build is pursued in future.

In addition, measures outlined in the White Paper to streamline the public inquiry process for major energy projects and to introduce the European emissions trading scheme could benefit the option of nuclear energy, were a decision taken in future to proceed with new nuclear power stations.

Sizewell B

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what purposes the spent nuclear fuel at the Sizewell B nuclear plant is being stored. [100037]

Mr. Wilson: This is a matter for British Energy. Decisions on whether to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, or to hold it in long-term storage for direct disposal or reprocessing at some time in the future, are a matter for the commercial judgement of the owner of the spent fuel within the overall regulatory framework.

Miners' Pension Funds

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress she has made in reviewing the division of surpluses on miners' pension funds. [100869]

Mr. Wilson: As I announced in a joint statement with trustees on 17 January 2002, the Government has been in discussion with the trustees of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme and the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme on the future of the Government Guarantee for those Schemes, including the division of fund surpluses.

Against the background of large falls in world stock markets, which continue to have a major effect on investment performance, the trustees have been advised that the Government does not feel it would be right to adjust the current 50/50 surplus sharing arrangements.

A number of other changes to the Guarantee arrangements have been agreed. In addition, discussions were to have continued to consider different methods of paying for the Guarantee and other ways of guaranteeing bonuses, where these different methods might offer advantages to Scheme members whilst not

7 Mar 2003 : Column 1279W

representing a significant additional burden on the taxpayer. However, NACODS South Wales have instigated a Judicial Review concerning the Guarantee to which the Government is obliged to respond. As a consequence, until this has been resolved, the Government does not feel it would be right to continue those discussions with the Trustees.

7 Mar 2003 : Column 1280W

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of the Government's share of surpluses on miners' pension funds was in each year from 1994. [Transferred] [100870]

Mr. Wilson: The cash value of receipts to Government from surpluses from the two schemes since payments began in 1996–97 are as follows:

Cash £ millions	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
BCSSS	39.5	39.5	107.1	107.1	110.3	216.0	216.0
MPS	0.0	113.0	113.0	0.00	315.0	196.0	196.0
Total	39.5	152.5	220.1	107.1	425.3	412.0	412.0

Bureaucracy

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the forms that her Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return. [98084]

Ms Hewitt: A list of the forms the Department requires private sector business to complete is not held centrally.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Municipal Waste

Norman Baker: To ask the secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 24 February, Official Report column 98W, on municipal waste, what percentage of household waste she anticipates will be recycled or composted by 2005 and what percentage of household waste will have value recovered by 2005 based on current achievements; and in respect of the waste recovery targets, what percentage of each target she estimates will be delivered by incineration. [100386]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 3 March 2003]: We are taking action aimed at delivering the targets for 2005 in Waste Strategy 2000, which were set out in my answer to the hon. Member of 26 February.

In 2000–01, 11 per cent. of household waste in England was recycled or composted; provisional estimates based on Best Value Performance Indicators suggest this figure may increase to almost 13 per cent. for 2001–02. In 2000–01 value was recovered from 21 per cent. of municipal waste, 9 per cent. of this was through incineration with energy recovery.

---