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14 Mar 2003 : Column 487W—continued
Ministerial Meetings
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last met representatives of the (a) Trading Standards Institute, (b) Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services, (c) National Consumer Council and (d) National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux; how often she meets each group; if she will make it her policy to place the minutes and agendas in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [102783]
Miss Melanie Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State or I have met with Trading Standards Institute, Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services, National Consumer Council and Citizens Advice (including Citizens Advice Scotland) within the last six months.
Formal meetings with most of these organisations are held on a regular footing to discuss matters of mutual interest. We also meet all of them at key events throughout the year.
Minutes and agendas of these groups are not placed in the Libraries of the House and I do not intend changing that policy.
Nuclear Industry (Skills Council)
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to create a skills council for the nuclear industry. [101997]
Mr. Wilson: The British Nuclear Industries Forum, the trade association for the nuclear sector, and Cogent, the Sector Skills Council for oil and gas extraction, chemicals manufacture and petroleum, are in discussion about creating Cogent Plus, a Sector Skills Council serving these four sectors plus polymers.
Like other applications for Sector Skills Council (SSC) status, the application will be subject to approval by the Sector Skills Development Agency, but this initiative has my full support. There are strong synergies between the nuclear sector and the proposed elements of Cogent Plus, and it offers a solid base for ensuring that the skills needed by the sector will be maintained and updated over the long term.
Assuming Cogent Plus is formally approved as an SSC it will take forward implementation of the recommendations set out in the report on nuclear skills published by the Department last year. These related in particular to the promotion of science and engineering to young people, the provision of support to teachers, the development of national occupational standards, the wider adoption of modern apprenticeship schemes within the nuclear sector and the building of alliances with universities with a view to the development of customised courses and academic centres of excellence capable of servicing the future needs and requirements of the nuclear sector.
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Office of Fair Trading
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the OFT's long term target to clear all cases over two years old. [102797]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The OFT has set internal targets for dealing with complaints about unfair terms in consumer contracts under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. The National Audit Office notes in its recently published report, 'The Office of Fair Trading: Progress in Protecting Consumers' Interests', that the OFT has increased the size of the team dealing with unfair contract terms and has given senior managers more autonomy in order to speed up its investigations.
The NAO confirm that the OFT 'is making good progress in reducing the number of cases over two years old'.
Patent Law
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to reform patent law to enhance the rights of inventors in relation to their employers. [102529]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The possibility of enhancing the provisions in the Patents Act 1977 on compensation for employee-inventors for inventions of outstanding benefit to the employer was explored in the recent consultation on our proposed Patents Act (Amendment) Bill. We will be developing our plans in the coming months in the light of responses to that consultation.
Political Donations
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to propose legislation that will require companies to disclose financial donations in kind to political parties. [100909]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There are already such requirements under sections 347A to K and paragraphs 3 to 5 of Schedule 7 to the Companies Act 1985, as amended by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
Public Bodies (Non-auditing Services)
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the non-auditing services bought by public bodies sponsored by her Department from their auditors. [100760]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The following public bodies sponsored by DTI have bought non-auditing services from their auditors:
- Coal Authority
- Accounting policy and taxation advice.
- National Consumer Council
- Reporting to NAO on compliance with Whole of Government Accounts.
- Preparation of tax computations and returns.
- Reviewing financial information for the Council's Annual Review.
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- British Hallmarking Council
- Advice on tax liability DTI Department of Trade and Industry
Rural Pharmacists
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on representations by the Scottish Executive on her policy on rural pharmacists. [101743]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The policy on rural pharmacists in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.
US Sarabaness-Oxley Act
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what study she has made of the effect of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 on British companies operating in the USA; and what representations she has made to US authorities on this issue. [100755]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There has been dialogue with the major business representative organisations and with various individual companies on the impact of the US Act on British companies. We have made representations at Ministerial and official levels on all aspects of the Act to the US authorities, and I raised the issue with Senators, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the New York Stock Exchange
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during a visit to Washington and New York last month. We have also supported the European Commission in their representations to the US on the issue.
TRANSPORT
London Underground
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Central Line to re-open. [102903]
Mr. Spellar: I understand that the first services to the eastern part of the line are due to be reintroduced today. London Underground are now working to bring services back to the western part of the line, before extending them to the line as a whole.
Railways
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list railway vehicles ordered for the railway network and their date for delivery; [101195]
- (2) when Bombardier will deliver their Electrostar trains to South Central; [101198]
(3) if he will list the orders Bombardier has with British train operating companies. [101181]
Mr. Jamieson: The table lists all orders for railway vehicles since 1997, including orders from Bombardier:
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Delivery of the Electrostars has already started and is expected to be completed in late April 2004.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the inspection regime protocols covering the inspection of motor retaining bolts and brackets on the Waterloo and City Line and the Central Line and (b) protocols covering the withdrawal of Underground trains on safety grounds for each Underground line. [102397]
Mr. Jamieson: These matters are currently subject to a full investigation by LUL, with a team chaired by an independent expert and to a separate investigation by the Health and Safety Executive. The investigation results will be made public.
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