House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 10 Apr 2003 (pt 14)

10 Apr 2003 : Column 394W—continued

Transco

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when Transco refused to comply with the HSE and statutory regulation to reassess its engineers, engaged in safety work in domestic premises, to the Approved Competency Standard qualification; [91405]

(3) for what reasons an enforcement notice was not served upon Transco by (a) the HSE, (b) Ofgem and (c) the Secretary of State when Transco refused to fulfill its statutory obligation to reassess its engineers qualification to the Approved Competency Standard. [91402]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: I have been asked to reply.

I have been informed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that there is no substance to the suggestion that Transco refused to comply with

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requirements to reassess its engineers. Transco chose rather to take a new route through a national vocational qualification being developed by the appropriate national training organisation, the gas and water industries national training organisation, to align with regard to gas safety requirements, with the nationally accredited certification scheme for individual gas fitting operatives (ACS)

In March 1997, Transco was registered with CORGI and all its emergency service operatives were deemed to hold valid certification under the Health and Safety Commission's Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) scheme, the sole means of demonstrating safety competence then in force. As this certification was valid for five years, no action could have been taken against Transco up to March 2002.

If Transco were to breach legal requirements in this area, there is a range of enforcement action available to HSE under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, ranging from the provision of advice to the serving of an enforcement notice and, ultimately, prosecution.

Websites

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the (a) cost of and (b) number of visitors to each website operated by her Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which her Department is responsible in each year since its establishment. [107632]

Ms Hewitt: For expenditure on and visitors to the Department's main website, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 393W, and 24 March 2003 Official Report, column 27W. Information on other departmental and NDPB websites is not held centrally and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

TRANSPORT

European Working Groups

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress with achieving transparency in respect of the European working groups for which his Department is responsible. [105742]

Mr. Jamieson: The Government have long been committed to greater openness in the EU Institutions. This was a key theme of the UK Presidencies in 1992 and 1998. Making it easier to gain access to non-sensitive documents is crucial to this. The Government welcomed Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. As a result, more documents are released to the public, while genuinely sensitive documents are given the protection they need.

Accountability and transparency of Council business to Parliament are ensured by the scrutiny process, to which the Government are also firmly committed.

10 Apr 2003 : Column 396W

We strongly supported the measures agreed at the Seville European Council to make the Council more open when in legislating mode. We remain committed to increasing transparency. The Future of Europe Convention is also looking at ways to make the EU more open.

Rolling Stock

Mr. David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on plans to improve rolling stock in the Great Western and Wessex areas. [107851]

Mr. Spellar: First Great Western (FGW) is progressively introducing Class 180 Adelante trains to their services. In May, they will be extended onto the route between London and Cheltenham. The Strategic Rail Authority intends to investigate options for replacement or refurbishment of the 53 high speed train sets currently operated by FGW. Wessex Trains' Class 158 fleet is being increased to operate on the Stroud Valley shuttle services and the new Bristol-Worcester service from September 2003.

Wessex Trains are also refurbishing their Class 150 fleet to improve passenger comfort.

Sunset Clauses

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the sunset clauses included in legislation from his Department since 1997. [106945]

Mr. Jamieson: Since the Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002 no primary legislation for which it has been responsible has included a sunset clause. No transport legislation since 1997 for which a predecessor Department was responsible has included such a clause.

Train Franchises

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the current franchise negotiations, with particular reference to the (a) Great Anglian and (b) Great Western areas. [107850]

Mr. Jamieson: On 1 April, the Strategic Rail Authority announced that three parties had qualified as bidders for the Great Anglia franchise: Arriva plc; GB Railways plc; and National Express Group plc. The new franchise will incorporate existing Anglia Railways, Great Eastern and West Anglia rail services after the end of current franchises in 2004.

The Greater Western franchise will commence in 2006, combining the services currently operated by First Great Western, Wessex Trains and Thames Trains. The Strategic Rail Authority intends to ask FirstGroup and Go-Ahead for proposals to run the Thames Trains franchise in the interim period 2004–06.

Transport Funding (Buckingham)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding has been awarded to projects affecting the Buckingham constituency from the (a) rural transport partnership, (b) transport grant scheme, (c) rural bus challenge fund, (d) rural

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transport development fund, (e) rural bus subsidy grant and (f) urban bus challenge fund in each year since their inception; and what the nature of the project and level of funding was in each case. [108516]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 594–96W.

Details of awards made within the county of Buckinghamshire, but not included in that reply are given in the following table. Records are not kept of awards by individual parliamentary constituencies.

Since April 2001 the Government has provided £191,457 of grant funding to Buckinghamshire. The schemes are listed below:

(a) Rural Transport Partnership Alternative Transport guide—£10,420

Voluntary car schemes—£12,034

Dial-a-ride services—£8,762

Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes (RTP)—£86,612

Rural Dial-a-ride—£11,040

Walkways and cycleways—£33,321

Aylesbury Vale Greenways research—£18,018

Explore the Chilterns—£11,250

Since April 2001 the Government has provided £23,121 of funding to Buckinghamshire. The schemes are listed below:

(b) Parish Transport Grant Four villages transport—£21,840

Scheme Tax Bus Service—£1,281

(c) Rural Bus Challenge Fund 2001–02—No award to Buckinghamshire in 2001

2002–03—£350,000 for services in the Wycombe area

(d) Rural Transport Development Fund The Rural Transport Development Fund (RTDF) scheme was merged with the Rural Transport Partnership fund in April 2001

(e) Rural Bus Subsidy Grant⁽⁹⁾ 2002–03—£837,352

(f) Urban Bus Challenge Fund No awards have been made in Buckinghamshire under the Urban Bus Challenge fund


(a) Rural Transport Partnership	Alternative Transport guide—£10,420
	Voluntary car schemes—£12,034
	Dial-a-ride services—£8,762
	Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes (RTP)—£86,612
	Rural Dial-a-ride—£11,040
	Walkways and cycleways—£33,321
	Aylesbury Vale Greenways research—£18,018
	Explore the Chilterns—£11,250
	Since April 2001 the Government has provided £23,121 of funding to Buckinghamshire. The schemes are listed below:
(b) Parish Transport Grant	Four villages transport—£21,840
Scheme	Tax Bus Service—£1,281
(c) Rural Bus Challenge Fund	2001–02—No award to Buckinghamshire in 2001
	2002–03—£350,000 for services in the Wycombe area
(d) Rural Transport Development Fund	The Rural Transport Development Fund (RTDF) scheme was merged with the Rural Transport Partnership fund in April 2001
(e) Rural Bus Subsidy Grant⁽⁹⁾	2002–03—£837,352
(f) Urban Bus Challenge Fund	No awards have been made in Buckinghamshire under the Urban Bus Challenge fund

⁽⁹⁾ RBSG is primarily for the support of new or enhanced rural bus services. In 2001–02 Buckinghamshire provided 46 services with the aid of the grant.

TREASURY

Iraq

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications there have been with the US Administration about the seizure of assets of Iraqis linked to Saddam Hussein. [107817]

Mr. Boateng: The Government are in close and regular contact with the US authorities regarding assets of the Iraqi regime.

Israel

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in relation to the written ministerial statement by the Economic Secretary on 3 April on duty on goods imported into the European Union which originate from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, whether the standard Israeli reply referred to, sent in response to verification requests for the origin of goods, will be taken as adequate reason to suspect that goods

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may have originated in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories and for the customs debt to be applied. [108024]

John Healey: As my statement on 3 April 2003, Official Report, column 68WS, made clear, the standard Israeli reply is insufficient to determine the real origin of the goods, or to dispel the reasonable doubt as to their entitlement to preferential duty rates under the EU/Israel Association Agreement. Preference is therefore being refused and HM Customs and Excise have now begun issuing duty demands.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the rates of customs duty applied to non-EU countries which import goods to the UK, with particular reference to the duty on goods imported from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. [108034]

John Healey: A comprehensive list of customs duty rates applied to all goods imported to the UK is published in HM Customs and Excise Tariff, a copy of which is being laid in the Library of the House. Preferential duty rates on goods imported from the State of Israel are specified in the EU/Israel Association Agreement. As my written ministerial statement of 3 April 2003, Official Report, column 68WS, made clear, goods produced in the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are not eligible for preferential duty rates under this agreement.

The average full duty rate for goods under verification, where Customs have reasonable doubt as to their eligibility for preferential duty rates under the EU/Israel Association agreement, is 4.1 per cent.

Details of duty rates applied to particular goods under verification cannot be disclosed, as this could lead to the identification of individual importers; Exemption 13 (third party's commercial confidences) of Open Government Code applies.

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