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14 Oct 2003 : Column 142W—continued
Coal Industry
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last met Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss the Large Combustion Plant Directive and its implications for the UK coal industry. [131215]
Mr. Timms: Government decisions relating to consultation on the implementation of the Large Combustion Plant Directive were reached by ministerial correspondence following extensive contact between officials of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which leads on the Directive, this Department and others with relevant interests
Combined Heat and Power
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will take steps to compel electricity companies to allow the installation into domestic accommodation of CHP units capable of feeding excess power into the grid. [131285]
Mr. Timms: I have no plans to do so. It is unnecessary to compel network operators to allow the installation of domestic scale CHP units as, provided that certain technical and safety related requirements are met, they are not currently in a position to deny connection to the distribution networks. Through the work of
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the Distributed Generation Working Group, the Government and Ofgem are working to encourage the development of simplified connection and metering arrangements that will facilitate the development and integration of domestic scale CHP technology.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ensure there is a reply to the letter dated 7 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Tarik Shaei, addressed to the Companies Investigation Branch in her Department. [131737]
Ms Hewitt: My official replied to the letter from my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Tarik Shaei on 3 October 2003.
Debt Management
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the Office of Fair Trading's compliance review of debt management companies; and what measures she plans to introduce to ensure good practice among debt management companies. [129936]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading has carried out a thorough compliance review to check on the industry's compliance with its debt management guidance. A report on the compliance review will be published shortly.
The guidance sets out minimum standards which debt management companies should adhere to—failure to do so could result in action by the Office of Fair Trading to question their fitness to hold a consumer credit licence. The Office of Fair Trading continues to take up any issues of non-compliance with individual companies, such action can range from advisory/warning letters to formal action i.e. licence refusal/revocation.
Due to the restrictions in the Consumer Credit Act relating to disclosure of information, the Office of Fair Trading cannot disclose details about action taken or planned against individual companies. Details of formal action taken are usually publicised and placed on the Office of Fair Trading public register.
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Since the guidance was issued there has been a considerable drop in complaints about Debt Management Companies to the Office of Fair Trading and to other consumer advice agencies.
Direct Selling
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received about the need to improve the regulations relating to direct selling; what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals; and if she will make a statement. [132135]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading is currently investigating the doorstep selling market as a supercomplaint within the terms of the Enterprise Act 2002. Its report is expected around the end of this year. Any recommendations will be carefully considered.
Euro
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent in each year by her Department in preparing for United Kingdom entry to the euro; how much her Department plans to spend on preparations for United Kingdom entry to the euro for each year from the current financial year up to and including 2005–06; and what estimates she has made of the total costs to her Department of changeover to the European Single Currency. [131599]
Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury at column 142W.
Export Credit Guarantees Department
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her Answer of 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 493W, on ECGD, if she will list the exposure under each reinsurance contract; what the split of business reinsured between defence and non-defence is; which claims have been (a) notified but not yet agreed and (b) agreed but not paid; and what projections have been made of expected claims payments. [130246]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Since the start of 1997, ECGD has reinsured 22 deals with other Export Credit Agencies (EGAs) in respect of medium/long-term business. ECGD has received no claims and therefore paid no claims. ECGD does not currently anticipate receiving any claims in respect of any of these cases. Current Exposure refers to the amount that ECGD has reinsured which is still outstanding.
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| Reinsured ECA | Market | Original value | Current exposure | Issue date | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coface | Singapore | 10,022,063 | 0 | 1997 | Civil |
| Coface | Taiwan | 9,983,926 | 0 | 1997 | Civil |
| Hermes | Croatia | 1,799,326 | 472,347 | 1998 | Civil |
| Coface | United Arab Emirates | 9,584,759 | 0 | 1998 | Civil |
| Coface | Kuwait | 29,661,020 | 0 | 1999 | Defence |
| Hermes | Mexico | 2,625,958 | 204,887 | 1999 | Civil |
| Hermes | Croatia | 9,996,706 | 9,996,706 | 1999 | Civil |
| Coface | Turkey | 331,719 | 88,440 | 1999 | Civil |
| Hermes | Dominican Republic | 29,520,129 | 20,114,522 | 2000 | Civil |
| Office National du Ducroire (OND) | India | 47,386,230 | 27,074,794 | 2000 | Civil |
| Hermes | Brazil | 21,228,898 | 18,614,705 | 2001 | Civil |
| Sace | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 40,140,469 | 31,308,243 | 2001 | Civil |
| Sage | Russian Federation | 108,855,581 | 97,244,455 | 2001 | Civil |
| Oekb-Oesterreichische Kontrollbank | Brazil | 2,439,928 | 1,957,556 | 2001 | Civil |
| Coface and Sage | Algeria | 119,365,812 | 53,669,781 | 2001 | Civil |
| Sage | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 23,425,293 | 23,425,293 | 2002 | Civil |
| Coface | Turkey | 33,637,809 | 32,406,342 | 2002 | Civil |
| Export import bank of the United States | Israel | 5,595,278 | 5,015,491 | 2002 | Civil |
| Hermes | Romania | 1,046,965 | 1,046,965 | 2002 | Civil |
| Export import bank of the United States | Luxembourg | 16,453,233 | 14,599,275 | 2002 | Civil |
| Coface | United Arab Emirates | 39,505,804 | 39,505,804 | 2002 | Defence |
| Sace | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 13,498,847 | 0 | 2003 | Civil |
The is no current exposure for all four short-term reinsurance cases as these deals have been fully paid. ECGD has received no claims and paid no claims on
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these. The BAE Systems case in the following table refers to air traffic systems.
| Reinsured short-term insurer | Underlying insured party | Risk status | Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | Marconi Corporation plc | Corporate | Germany |
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | Royal Ordnance plc | Sovereign | Singapore |
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | BAE Systems (Defence Systems Ltd) | Public | United Arab Emirates |
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | Rolls-Royce Industrial Power (India) Ltd | Corporate | Canada |
| Reinsured short-term insurer | Original value £ | Current Exposure £ | Issue date | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | 1,337,736 | 0 | 1998 | Defence |
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | 18,600,000 | 0 | 1998 | Defence |
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | 8,000,000 | 0 | 1997 | Civil |
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | 765,600 | 0 | 1998 | Civil |
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list reinsurance contracts underwritten by the ECGD; and in each case (a) who the reinsured party is, (b) who the underlying insured party is, (c) what cover is provided, (d) what the amount of the total exposure under the contract is and (e) what amounts have been paid in respect of these contracts for each year up to and including 1997. [129932]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Prior to the end of 1997, ECGD provided reinsurance to other Export Credit Agencies (EGAs) under Co-operation Agreements on only two occasions in respect of medium/long-term business. The cover provided was reinsurance of all risks covered by the lead EGA.
| (a) Reinsured ECA | (b) Underlying insured party | Risk status | Market | (e) Claims paid £ | Issue date | Sector | Originalvalue £ | (d) Current exposure £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coface (France) | Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd | Corporate | Singapore | 0 | 1997 | Civil | 10,022,063 | 0 |
| Coface (France) | Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd | Public | Taiwan | 0 | 1997 | Civil | 9,983,926 | 0 |
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Current Exposure refers to the amount that ECGD has reinsured which is still outstanding.
These cases are also referred to in PQ No. 130246 answered today and were the first cases under the first Co-operation Agreement (with France) that was signed in 1995.
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There is no current exposure for the one reinsurance case issued in 1997 as this deal has been fully paid. ECGD has received no claims and paid no claims on this.
| Reinsured short-term insurer | Underlying insured party | Riskstatus | Market | Originalvalue £ | Current exposure £ | Issuedate | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCM Credit Insurance Ltd | BAE Systems (Defence Systems Ltd) | Public | United Arab Emirates | 8,000,000 | 0 | 1997 | Civil |
However, it would incur disproportionate cost to list and detail every occasion that ECGD has provided short-term reinsurance prior to 1997 due to the very large numbers involved. When its short-term business was privatised in 1991, ECGD provided reinsurance on all exposure transferred to the commercial insurer (NCM Credit Insurance Ltd.)
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