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Trade (Developing Countries)

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to promote the interests of developing countries in the world trade round. [115518]

Ms Hewitt: Developing countries have a significant interest in the Doha Development Agenda. Halving protection in agriculture, industrial goods and services around the world could boost developing country incomes by around $150 billion a year. Substantial trade liberalisation could reduce the number of people living in poverty by over 300 million by 2015—a significant contribution to reaching the UN's Millennium Development Goals.

To achieve this we are working for a fairer international trading system for all WTO members with a particular emphasis on developing countries. In particular the Government is committed to working with our EU and other international partners to ensure that real and meaningful increases in market access in agriculture, and other areas of particular interest to developing countries, are agreed in the current WTO trade negotiations. At the same time the Government fully recognises that developing countries require trade related technical assistance and capacity building to increase their ability to participate effectively in the WTO. The Government has committed £45 million specifically for this and other trade-related initiatives since 1998.

The Government recognises that trade reform can have adverse effects on particular groups particularly in the short run. The Government supports implementing

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policies in careful sequence so that developing countries efforts to liberalise trade maximise the potential benefits and minimise the costs of trade reform. The Government supports an approach to the current WTO negotiations that recognises that WTO members are at different stages of development and have different capacities to implement WTO rules. To help countries manage their commitments, we are pressing for Special and Differential Treatment provisions to be real and binding and for any new WTO rules to reflect countries' implementation capacities.

Trade Relations (North Korea)

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the trade relationship between the UK and North Korea. [114675]

Ms Hewitt: We have full diplomatic relations with North Korea, which include trade relations. There is no objection to UK companies trading with North Korea, if they wish to do so. However, given the political situation arising from the nuclear issue, all trade promotion activity by HMG has been suspended. Normal commercial activity will resume once the nuclear issue has been resolved.

Utilities (Billing)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations her Department has received regarding the inconvenience and stress caused by inaccurate billing for gas and electricity provision. [116149]

Mr. Wilson: The regulation of gas and electricity supply, including billing, is a matter for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). I receive correspondence from Members of Parliament and the general public about a range of gas and electricity consumer issues, including billing. Gas and electricity suppliers should operate to the highest standards in all areas of their operations, including billing. If they do not, they may face regulatory action, as well as the loss of their customers to other suppliers.

Vibration White Finger

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she plans to hold further discussions with interested parties to resolve outstanding issues relating to Group Three claims for Vibration White Finger. [114659]

Mr. Wilson: Since my meeting in February this year with interested parties on issues relating to disputed Group Three claims for Vibration White Finger, my officials have had a number of meetings with solicitors and union representatives. Discussions on these issues are ongoing.

Warranties (Electrical Goods)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to issue guidance on cooling down periods for warranties on electrical goods. [115666]

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Miss Melanie Johnson: The Competition Commission is currently carrying out an inquiry on the supply of extended warranties for domestic electrical goods. The Commission published its statement of hypothetical remedies on 20 May 2003. My hon. Friend will wait for the Commission's final report and final recommendations before deciding what action may be necessary.

Wind Farm, Dogger Bank

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the viability of establishing a wind farm on the Dogger Bank. [115619]

Mr. Wilson: The Department of Trade and Industry has carried out a strategic environmental assessment of a number of offshore areas with potential for wind farm development. The Dogger Bank is outside the areas that have been assessed.

World Trade

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on supporting the expansion of the WTO agenda to include investment; and if she will make a statement. [113265]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 14 May 2003]: The Government fully supports the European Union objectives to seek agreement and a mandate at the Fifth WTO Ministerial at Cancun in September to negotiate new WTO agreements on the four Singapore new issues, including a Trade and Investment Agreement. This was confirmed in the Ministerial conference that I attended in Doha and in the Ministerial declaration adopted by consensus at Doha on 14 November 2001.

Developing Countries regularly emphasis their need for increased flows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). However, smaller developing countries do not have the resources to negotiate numerous bilateral investment treaties. It is of course up to developing countries that are WTO members to decide if it is in their interests to sign an investment agreement. However we believe that a WTO multilateral investment framework will benefit developing countries not only because it would make negotiations easier but also because it form the basis of a level playing field for all WTO members. This in turn would help developing countries create the low risk, stable and predictable conditions necessary to attract a larger share of global investment flows. Within the overall agreement developing countries would be able to decide in which areas it is most appropriate for them to schedule commitments.

When seeking agreement to launch negotiations in Cancun, we will ensure that the current proposals for these "new issues" offer a balanced and flexible approach. We want to make sure that any new obligations for WTO members allow them sufficient flexibility to pursue national development objectives. Any final agreement must include appropriate special and differential treatment for developing countries, and must also ensure that technical assistance and capacity building support is offered to help developing countries prepare for the post-Cancun negotiations.

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World Trade Agreements

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department is taking to recognise the needs of (a) sub-Saharan African countries and (b) Indo-Chinese countries in world trade agreements. [114615]

Ms Hewitt: We support an approach to the current WTO negotiations that recognises that WTO Members are at different stages of development and have different capacities to implement WTO rules. To help countries manage their commitments, we are pressing for Special and Differential Treatment provisions to be real and binding and for any new WTO rules to reflect countries' implementation capacities.

The EU already offers duty and quota free access to all Least Developed Countries (LDC), of which 34 are in sub-Saharan Africa. The EU is currently negotiating new Economic Partnership Agreements with all ACP countries, including 14 non LDC ACP countries in Africa. The UK is pushing for the EU to offer ACP countries duty and quota free access to EU markets as a result of these negotiations.

Cambodia and Laos as Laces already benefit from EBA and Vietnam receives access to EU under GSP. The UK is a strong supporter of these countries efforts to accede to the WTO. WTO members have recently agreed, following up the Doha Declaration, to simplify the accession route for LDCs. My Department continues to be actively involved in this process in consultation with DfID and other relevant Whitehall Departments.

HEALTH

Speech Therapists

15. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to increase the number of speech therapists. [116538]

Mr. Hutton: The Government have already significantly increased the number of speech and language therapists and will continue to increase them further. As at September 2001, there were 5,680 speech and language therapists in the NHS—17 per cent. more than in 1997.

Foundation Hospitals (Welsh Patients)

16. Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with Secretaries in the National Assembly for Wales regarding the grant of foundation hospital status to hospitals serving Welsh patients. [116539]

Mr. Hutton: I have had no recent discussions with on this matter. Cross border referrals to NHS foundation trusts will continue to work in the same way that referrals from NHS Commissioners to NHS trusts currently operate.

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