---

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1069W—continued

Asbestos

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 13 June 2003, Official Report, column 1096W, on asbestos, if she will list the buildings identified as containing asbestos. [130938]

Ms Hewitt: For the Department of Trade and Industry's London Estate, the buildings identified as containing asbestos are listed:

10 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0NN;


Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London SE1 7LJ; and


Westfield House, 30 Knaresborough Drive, London SW18 4UT.

Atomic Energy Board

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what matters are dealt with in the 1952 Atomic Energy Board (minutes and papers); and if she will transfer those documents to the Public Record Office for public inspection. [129246]

Mr. Timms: These minutes and papers contain information relating to the civil and military nuclear programme in the early 1950s.

They are retained in the Department for reasons of defence and security under section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958. As part of a continual programme of reviewing retained material their retention is currently being re-considered.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's assessment is of the (a) environmental, (b) social and (c) human rights impacts of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project in Azerbaijan; and if she will make a statement. [129976]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The review of the ETC project is ongoing. Cover will only be provided if ECGD are satisfied that the relevant environmental, social and human rights impacts have been properly addressed and that the financial and project risks are acceptable.

Biopharmaceuticals

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the turnover was of the biopharmaceuticals industry in (a) Speke Garston and (b) Greater Merseyside in 2002–03. [130434]

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1070W

Jacqui Smith: In August 2002, Merseyside had 14 biopharmaceutical companies with a turnover of £406 million for the period 2001–02. Specific figures for the Speke Garston area are not available, though the area has the highest concentration of biopharmaceuticals companies in the North West.

Blackouts

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the capacity of the National Grid to avert power blackouts in the UK. [130974]

Mr. Timms: The Government views with concern recent problems on the high voltage electricity transmission network that led to power cuts in London and the Midlands on 28 August and 5 September respectively. We have received a report from National Grid Transco (NGT) on the incident in London and we will shortly receive a report from them on the Midlands incident.

The independent energy market regulator, Ofgem, and the DTI are jointly commissioning consultants to investigate the operational and technical issues surrounding these electricity supply interruptions. In the light of the findings, the DTIs Engineering Inspectorate will consider whether the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 were fully adhered to. Separately, Ofgem will consider whether any transmission licence obligations have been violated.

British Coal

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in reviewing the arrangements for apportioning surpluses in the pension schemes for former employees of British Coal. [130371]

Mr. Timms: I am advised that the current arrangements represent a good deal for the pension scheme members. Their basic pensions are secure even in times when, as is now the case for the Mineworkers Pension Scheme, investment performance has produced a deficit. Under the terms of the Guarantee, that deficit will be met by a transfer of several hundred million pounds from the Investment Reserve, which represents Government's share of pre-privatisation surpluses in the Scheme, to the Guaranteed fund to pay members' guaranteed benefits. And despite the deficit, Government have agreed to a Trustee proposal allowing members of the MPS to continue to receive inflation linked increases to their total pension (i.e. basic pension plus bonus) over the next three years.

The DTI Department has held discussions with the Trustees of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme and the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme on the future of the Government Guarantee for those Schemes, including the division of surpluses.

Following those discussions the trustees were advised that the Government do not consider it would be right to adjust the current surplus sharing arrangements. Some other changes to the Guarantee arrangements were agreed, as were further discussions to consider possible different methods of paying for the Guarantee

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1071W

and also other ways of guaranteeing the bonuses that have already been awarded to members, while not representing a significant additional burden on the taxpayer

Broadband

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether she has asked for a regulatory impact assessment on forthcoming internet traffic management proposals explicitly to consider broadband rollout; [117718]

(2) what steps she is taking to ensure any forthcoming internet traffic management proposals are consistent with the Government's objective of making Britain the most competitive and extensive broadband market of all the G7 nations by 2005; and if she will make a statement. [117719]

Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan ) on 14 April 2003, Official Report, column 488W.

Carbon Dioxide

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) national and (b) international organisations the Department has consulted on plans to capture and store carbon dioxide. [130533]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 18 September 2003]: We are consulting a large number of UK organisations covering industry, academia and environmental bodies in considering the options for carbon capture and storage (CSS). This has mostly been through conference and seminar events. A full list of the organisations who have participated more fully in the development of our current position can be found at annex 1 of the "Review of the Feasibility of Carbon Capture and Storage in the UK". This report can found on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/coal/cfft/co2capture/review.pdf. DEFRA have also been closely involved in the development of our conclusions. In addition to this we have held a public seminar in October 2002 at which representatives of Greenpeace and Bellona were invited to speak on the issue. Other NGOs, such as Friends of the Earth, the WWF and the RSPB also attended.

Internationally, we have directly discussed CCS with the governments of Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. CCS is also an area of interest included in the UK/US Cleaner Fossil Fuel Implementing Arrangement signed earlier this year. We have also been in touch with governments and industry in both Canada and Australia.

Chemicals Industry

Mr. Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she has taken to secure the future of the north-west chemicals industry; and if she will make a statement. [130994]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 18 September 2003]: The chemical sector is very important to the north-west and DTI has worked very closely with the private sector lead North West Chemical Initiative to develop a strategy and action plan for the sector. The North West

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1072W

Chemical Initiative was established with the financial support of both the North West Development Agency and DTI.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has recently announced that £50 million worth of regional selective assistance has been awarded to chlorine manufacturer Ineos Chlor (subject to EU Commission approval) to help modernise its Runcorn facility on Merseyside. Over 2000 direct jobs at the plant will be safeguarded by the aid, part of a £389 million investment programme by the company, safeguarding around a further 8,000 jobs in associated businesses which are dependent upon the Runcorn site.

The UK Government fully supports the objectives of the new European chemicals strategy. However, it considers that the draft legislative text published by the Commission before the summer would not create a workable, efficient system that will provide the right level of protection of human health and the environment while avoiding unnecessary burdens to industry. Indeed, the UK Government consider that as currently drafted the legislation would be both too costly and damaging for the chemicals industry (particularly small businesses) and not effective enough in terms of protecting human health and the environment. We are working with other member states and the Commission to ensure that there are substantial changes to the legislation before it is finally agreed.

---