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Intellectual Property Laws

Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to ensure that intellectual property laws in the UK do not inhibit access to drugs in developing countries, with particular reference to the treatment of HIV and AIDS. [121319]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: A UK intellectual property right for a drug gives no rights over use of the drug in another country.

Intellectual Property Rights are territorial; patents in one country are not enforceable in another (although there are some regional agreements, such as the European Patent Convention). This means that any effects of intellectual property rights in the UK on access to medicines will be indirect.

The effect of intellectual property rights on access to medicines in developing countries has attracted significant attention recently.

Instead, the issue is primarily one of the effects of intellectual property rights in developing countries themselves—and international agreements, such as the World Trade Organisation's Trade-related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO TRIPs) Agreement, which require these rights to be available. A specific concern at present is changing the effect of TRIPs to enable countries with insufficient manufacturing capacity to make effective use of compulsory licenses for needed pharmaceuticals. All WTO members committed to solving this problem at the Ministerial Conference in

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Doha in 2001. This change would not require the UK to change its own laws, and the Government has made no commitment to do so.

Iraq

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts have been secured by British companies for reconstruction work in Iraq; what discussions she has had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) the US Administration about such contracts; and if she will make a statement. [123201]

Ms Hewitt: British companies are not required to notify us when they have secured contracts for reconstruction work in Iraq. However, we are aware that three companies have publicly acknowledged winning such contracts and believe that a number more have been successful but have not publicised their details.

The Cabinet and Ad Hoc Ministerial Group on Iraq has regular discussions on all aspects of our policy towards Iraq, including reconstruction.

I have discussed Iraq with Andrew Natsios of US AID. My right hon. and noble Friend, the then Minister for Trade visited Washington on 15 and 16 May 2003 when she held talks with US AID, the State Department and, the US Army Corps of Engineers on redevelopment work in Iraq.

Small and Medium-sized Businesses

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to reduce the regulatory burden of small and medium-sized businesses. [124461]

Nigel Griffiths: The Economist Intelligence Unit (E.I.U) studied the business environment, including regulation, in 60 countries. The Unit found that the Netherlands, the USA and Britain take the top three places.

Among the measures that help us keep the UK ahead of other countries are:

Extended the flat rate VAT scheme, to relieve red tape burdens on 700,000 SMEs who have had their paperwork and compliance costs cut by up to £1,000 a year, removed automatic late payment penalties for VAT, reduced the corporation tax starting rate from 10 per cent. zero so that 150,000 companies will no longer pay and tax, cut the small companies rate from 20 per cent. to 19 per cent., benefiting over 335,000 companies.

Removed the statutory audit requirement for all companies with a turnover up to £1 million benefiting up to 150,000 small companies since July 2000 with potential savings of up to £180 million a year.

Start-up Rates

Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the start-up rate for businesses is in (a) Merseyside, (b) the North West and (c) England. [124440]

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Nigel Griffiths: Business start-ups are measured officially by VAT registrations. The latest year for which VAT registration data is available is 2001.

VAT Registrations 2001

	Number	Rate per 10,000 adults
England	154,280	39
NorthWest	17,565	32
Merseyside Metropolitan County(14)	13,370	30

⁽¹⁴⁾ Excludes Halton UA

Source:

Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations 1980–2001, Small Business Service.

Trade Rules

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the OECD guidelines for multilateral enterprises are; and what the Government's policy is on these guidelines. [124373]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises ("the Guidelines") are recommendations addressed by adhering countries to multi-national enterprises. They represent a framework of principles of good conduct for multi-national companies in their business activities, designed to help ensure that they act in harmony with the policies of the countries in which they operate and that they consider the views of other stakeholders (for example in respect of social and environmental issues). The Guidelines aim to promote and develop a sustainable approach to business conduct and to build an atmosphere of confidence and predictability between business, labour, governments and society as a whole. It is intended that companies use the Guidelines as a benchmark when developing their own codes of conduct and should be seen as a minimum required standard of behaviour. Further information can be obtained from www.oecd.org

The Government supports the OECD Guidelines, which are an integral part of the Government's policy towards Corporate Social Responsibility. There are expectations of business, in respect of environmental and social responsibility and in high standards of corporate governance, wherever they operate. The Guidelines can have a positive impact on the contribution by businesses in these areas.

UK-Russia Bilateral Trade

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress was made in discussions on bilateral trade with President Putin during his recent visit. [123889]

Ms Hewitt: I was very pleased to attend the Energy Summit at Lancaster House, which was addressed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Putin who both welcomed the increased trade and investment between our two countries.

During the State visit, Deputy Prime Minister Kurdin and I had a very fruitful meeting where we discussed a range of trade related issues, including increased UK/Russia trade and economic co-operation. We both

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warmly welcomed the BP investment, announced at the Energy Summit, which helps to make the UK the largest foreign investor in Russia.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Domestic Violence

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Minister for Women when she expects that the outcome of the Government study into the costs of domestic violence will be published. [121943]

Ms Hewitt: The research report is scheduled for publication in autumn 2003.

Temporary Agency Workers

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women how many women are employed as temporary agency workers in all Government departments; and what proportion this represents of (a) all those employed as temporary agency workers and (b) the total work force of Government Departments. [118408]

Ms Hewitt: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Affordable Housing

Martin Linton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes have been built in Battersea since 1997. [123672]

Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, we understand that there have been 499 affordable housing acquisitions and completions between 1997 and 2001 within the London borough of Wandsworth.

Allotments

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress with the review of (a) the temporary status of allotments and (b) the 30 year limit relating to allotments. [123833]

Keith Hill: These issues were examined by research commissioned by the then Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Local Government Association in 2000, and guidance is provided in the final report "Growing in the community: a good practice guide for the management of allotments". It advises that temporary allotment sites of more than 30-years-old could be re-designated to statutory status on a voluntary basis, however, such sites will not automatically be converted to statutory status.

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department is doing to promote the wider use and provision of allotments. [124120]

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Keith Hill: The Government's objectives on public spaces are set out in "Living Places: Cleaner, Safer, Greener" (October 2002). The document contains our proposals for improving the quality of urban green spaces including allotments. Revised planning policy guidance note 17: Open Space, Recreation and Sport (June 2002) provides a more strategic framework for planning for green spaces.

In addition, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published "Growing in the community: a good practice guide for the management of allotments (2001)", and "Allotments: a plot holders' guide (2002)" to provide advice to allotment authorities and current and potential allotment plot holders.

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment his Department has made of the age range of those who occupy allotment plots. [124122]

Keith Hill: No specific assessment has been made of the age range of plot holders.

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many allotment plots there were in each year since 1973; [124123]

(2) what statistics he collates on usage of allotment sites. [124121]

Keith Hill: The "English Allotments Survey 1997", commissioned by the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, provides estimates of the numbers of allotment plots in England for four specific years. The survey estimates that in 1970, there were 532,964 plots; in 1977, 497,793 plots; in 1978, 479,301 plots; and in 1996, 296,923 plots. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has recently announced plans to commission a full update of the English Allotments Survey this year. Disposal of statutory allotments are also administered and monitored by the Government Offices for the regions.

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