---

12 Jun 2003 : Column 1001W—continued

Energy Sources

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources have been allocated towards developing the production capabilities of (a) renewables and (b) alternative energy sources in each year since 1997. [116250]

Mr. Wilson: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 9 December 2002, Official Report, column 70W.

EU Enlargement

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she has carried out to

12 Jun 2003 : Column 1002W

encourage British industry to prepare for the export potential provided by the entry of the 10 accession countries into 2004. [118353]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 10 June 2003]: I have ensured that my Department is active in promoting the benefits of enlargement to British industry.

The DTI is working very closely with the Foreign Office, Cabinet Office and other Departments to help ensure that British industry does takes full advantage of the opportunities in the new markets.

British Trade International is supporting a programme of 30 outward trade missions to the 10 accession states in this financial year.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the export potential provided by the 10 accession countries; and if she will make a statement in terms of the effect on GDP. [118354]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 10 June 2003]: The Department has not commissioned external research on the export potential provided by the 10 accession countries.

The Department's officials are completing an analysis of the trade and investment impact of EU enlargement, which we intend to publish as soon as possible, but research [for CEPR ¹ ] forecasts that enlargement will add 1.5 per cent. to the new members' GDP and boost EU GDP by 0.2 per cent. The UK's share could be worth £1.75 billion per annum.

[ ¹ "The costs and benefits of eastern enlargement: the impact on the EU and Central Europe" Richard E. Baldwin, Joseph F. Francois and Richard Fortes, Centre for Economic Policy Research, April 1997.]

Fair Trade

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for consultation with campaigners for fairer trade ahead of the 5th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico. [118415]

Ms Hewitt: I meet regularly with representatives from civil society to discuss the Government's international trade policy. I last met with representatives from development NGOs on 21 May to discuss how we can ensure that this is a true development round.

Campaigners for fairer trade help to raise the profile of trade and development issues. It is important that Government and campaigners for trade justice continue to work together to ensure that the Doha Development Agenda becomes a reality.

A representative from action Aid will be part of the official UK delegation to the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun and, as I announced to the House last week, I have accepted an invitation from Christian Aid to visit Guatemala prior to the Cancun meeting.

Fireworks

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the number of injuries caused by fireworks during 2002. [118241]

12 Jun 2003 : Column 1003W

Miss Melanie Johnson: The total number of persons recorded as attending hospital casualty departments in Great Britain during the 2002 bonfire night period was 1,017. This represents a decrease of 25 per cent. on the 2001 total of 1,362. There were no deaths in the 2002 bonfire night period, nor are we aware of any outside the recording period.

Despite the welcome fall in recorded accidents, we continue to do all we can to promote safety and to prevent misuse of fireworks.

I am arranging for copies of the injury figures together with the analytical and regional tables to be placed in the Libraries of House as well as on the DTI website: www.dti.gov.uk

Fur Imports

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) of 13 May 2003, Official Report, column 166W, what research her Department has carried out into the effectiveness of the testing of labelling schemes dealing with the importation of cat and dog fur; and what the estimated cost is of such schemes. [118259]

Ms Hewitt: Mislabelling can already be prosecuted: it is an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act of 1968 to apply, by any means, false or misleading statements to goods including about their composition. However, the Trade Descriptions Act is difficult to enforce in the case of made-up goods containing fur until we can ensure a robust testing method for such products.

We are working with other governments and scientific advisers to develop such an enforcement mechanism as soon as possible. The Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC Ltd.) have provided advice detailing why DNA testing of these products is both difficult and, as yet, unreliable (copies of this advice are available in the Libraries of the House). However, we have identified an alternative testing method (based on mass spectrometry) that may be more reliable and are working to determine whether this is the case.

The cost of mass spectrometry testing is currently è200 per sample. However, the overall cost of any scheme to test labelling of products containing furs cannot easily be estimated. The cost would be dependent on the level of testing of products that the authorities responsible for enforcing the Trade Descriptions Act considered to be necessary.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 11 April 2003, Official Report, column 459W, when she will report to Parliament on the issue of the importation of cat and dog fur. [118260]

Ms Hewitt: My noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Investment will report to Parliament on how work is progressing on this issue before the summer recess.

Gas Order

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the letter of 12 March 1999 from Transco to Ofgem. [116993]

12 Jun 2003 : Column 1004W

Mr. Wilson: The department is not able to publish material provided to Ofgem on a confidential basis by Transco.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the letter from Ofgem to Transco on 1 April 1999 constitutes a change to the Gas Order. [116995]

Mr. Wilson: This issue will shortly be considered as part of a Judicial Review to which Ofgem is a party, and it would be inappropriate to comment whilst legal proceedings are underway.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if there is a requirement for Ofgem to consult stakeholders before making changes to the Gas Order. [116997]

Mr. Wilson : It is for Ofgem to decide on the administrative process for such changes.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there have been amendments to the Gas Order. [117077]

Mr. Wilson: This issue will shortly be considered as part of a judicial review to which Ofgem is a party, and it would be inappropriate to comment whilst legal proceedings are underway.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Transco is required under the Gas Order to compensate companies if it does not provide gas connection quotations within a specific timescale. [117078]

Mr. Wilson: I am advised that the payment of money to certain categories of customer in respect of delayed quotations for connections is a primary feature of Ofgem's Enforcement Order against Transco.

Horizontal Amending Directive

Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department will publish the draft regulations and guidance on the implementation of the Horizontal Amending Directive, with particular reference to the offshore industry. [118814]

Alan Johnson: I hope to make and lay the regulations covering all sectors affected by the Horizontal Amending Directive in early July 2003, and plan to make draft guidance on them available at about the same time.

Leisure Industry

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to improve productivity in the leisure sector. [117069]

Alan Johnson: I recognise the immense contribution that the leisure sector makes to the UK economy. This is reflected in the recent creation a new team within Trade Partners UK devoted to providing support to the leisure industry—especially in the field of exporting, where we believe there is substantial potential.

12 Jun 2003 : Column 1005W

---