House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Oct 2003 (pt 9)

23 Oct 2003 : Column 670W—continued

Directory Inquiries

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the response by Oftel to problems raised by customers with the new 118 directory assistance providers. [132851]

Mr. Timms: The Government welcome in principle the opening up of the Directory Inquiries Market to competition. However, the implementation of Directory Inquiries liberalisation is a matter for the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) and the enforcement of the regulatory regime is for the regulator, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS).

Fireworks

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further measures are being taken to enforce the age restriction on the sale of fireworks. [133216]

Mr. Sutcliffe: No further measures are being taken to enforce the age restriction on the sale of fireworks under the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997. Recent research undertaken indicates that trading standards departments generally give high-priority to firework matters during the firework season including enforcement of the age restriction. This often includes test purchasing by under 18s in many trading standards authority areas.

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken to prevent firework-related injuries. [133225]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The DTI's annual firework safety campaign aims to encourage the public to take care when using fireworks in order to help reduce the number of firework-related injuries. This year's campaign is focusing on the misuse of fireworks by young teenagers and the safe use of sparklers by young children.

Also the provisions of the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 governing the safety of fireworks used by the public and the fireworks industry's voluntary ban on air bomb type fireworks both help in preventing firework-related injuries.

Investment in Canada

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down by region and by (a) industrial and (b) economic sector investment by UK companies in Canada in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [133650]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Data on investment by UK companies in Canada is available only by industry sector as shown in the following table. Data for 2002 will be published early next year.

23 Oct 2003 : Column 671W

UK foreign direct investment in Canada by industry 1997–2001£ million

Stock level at year end 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Agriculture, forestry & fishing ⁽¹¹⁾— ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹¹⁾— ⁽¹¹⁾— ⁽¹¹⁾—

Mining & quarrying(including oil/gas) 703 ⁽¹²⁾— 900 2,493 1,495

Food products 786 808 900 1,210 ⁽¹²⁾—

Textile & wood, printing & publishing 157 126 168 137 164

Chemical, plastic & fuel products 619 487 773 576 891

Metal & mechanical products 120 132 299 396 640

Office, IT & communications equipment ⁽¹²⁾— 3 2 ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾—

Transport equipment ⁽¹²⁾— 77 308 387 70

Other manufacturing 570 253 243 81 369

Electricity, gas & water ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾—

Construction 187 103 106 ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾—

Retail/wholesale trade & repairs 492 205 180 969 374

Hotels & restaurants ⁽¹²⁾— -1 ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾—

Transport & communications 81 85 186 183 74

Financial services 1,467 988 1,108 12,263 2,012

Real estate & business services 511 990 379 275 420

Other services 33 4 45 ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹²⁾—

Total UK FBI in Canada 5,748 4,952 5,627 10,142 11,843

Stock level at year end	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001


Agriculture, forestry & fishing	⁽¹¹⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹¹⁾—	⁽¹¹⁾—	⁽¹¹⁾—
Mining & quarrying(including oil/gas)	703	⁽¹²⁾—	900	2,493	1,495
Food products	786	808	900	1,210	⁽¹²⁾—
Textile & wood, printing & publishing	157	126	168	137	164
Chemical, plastic & fuel products	619	487	773	576	891
Metal & mechanical products	120	132	299	396	640
Office, IT & communications equipment	⁽¹²⁾—	3	2	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—
Transport equipment	⁽¹²⁾—	77	308	387	70
Other manufacturing	570	253	243	81	369
Electricity, gas & water	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—
Construction	187	103	106	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—
Retail/wholesale trade & repairs	492	205	180	969	374
Hotels & restaurants	⁽¹²⁾—	-1	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—
Transport & communications	81	85	186	183	74
Financial services	1,467	988	1,108	12,263	2,012
Real estate & business services	511	990	379	275	420
Other services	33	4	45	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹²⁾—
Total UK FBI in Canada	5,748	4,952	5,627	10,142	11,843

⁽¹¹⁾ —nil or less than half of one million

⁽¹²⁾ —disclosive data

Source:

National Statistics, Overseas Direct Investment

Post Office Closures

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices have closed under the Urban Reinvention Programme. [133508]

Mr. Timms: I understand that Post Office Ltd. produces information on post office closures, including those made under the urban reinvention programme, on a quarterly basis. There were 342 closures under the Urban Reinvention Programme to end of June 2003, the latest quarter for which figures are currently available.

Quality Mark

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent by her Department on running the Quality Mark scheme since its introduction; and if she will make a statement. [132847]

Nigel Griffiths: From its introduction until March 2003, approximately £6.7 million has been spent on development, marketing and running costs of the scheme.

The Quality Mark is viewed by the construction industry as a valuable marketing tool to guarantee high quality work, underpinned by independent corroboration of a contractor's competence.

Leading trade associations in the sector support the scheme and are working with the DTI on Quality Mark.

Recycled Rubber

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much recycled rubber was imported in each of the last five years; what proportion imports accounted for of all recycled rubber used in each of those years; and if she will make a statement. [132670]

23 Oct 2003 : Column 672W

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Figures for the import of recycled rubber are:

Kilograms

Imports

Reclaimed rubber⁽¹³⁾ Waste rubber

1998 2,712,604 4,038,920

1999 2,200,850 3,442,150

2000 1,186,301 3,807,662

2001 1,325,191 5,084,458

2002 2,246,603 6,749,131

	Imports
	Reclaimed rubber⁽¹³⁾	Waste rubber
1998	2,712,604	4,038,920
1999	2,200,850	3,442,150
2000	1,186,301	3,807,662
2001	1,325,191	5,084,458
2002	2,246,603	6,749,131

⁽¹³⁾ Reclaimed rubber in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip (CN 400300.

⁽¹⁴⁾ Waste parings and scrap of unhardened rubber and powders and granules obtained therefrom (CN400400).

Although there is some limited information on the sales of reclaimed rubber by UK manufacturers [PRODCOM Report PRA 25130, available from the National Statistics website http://www.statistics.gov.uk/onlineproducts/PRODCOM2001 annual.asp], it excludes reclaimed rubber not sold because it is subsequently used by the same manufacturer. It also excludes such recycled rubber products as those obtained by cutting up worn-out tyres. As such it is not possible to produce an estimate of the use of recycled rubber.

Relocation Abroad

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to encourage UK based companies not (a) to relocate off-shore and (b) to transfer jobs to other countries. [133521]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: This Government believe that, as UK based companies are operating in an increasingly competitive, global marketplace, they have the freedom to choose where to locate in order to maximise their competitive advantage. The Government are continuing to create a competitive environment in the UK where an educated and skilled work force, better infrastructure and access to European and world markets has made

23 Oct 2003 : Column 673W

this country the leading country for Foreign Direct Investment in Europe and second in the world only to the United States.

The UK is a trading nation. Our economic long-term interest must be based on our ability to innovate to produce high value-added goods and services which need a highly skilled work force, high calibre managers, forward looking unions and knowledgeable consumers. A protectionist approach would damage the interests of the UK. Figures on the potential for outsourcing do not take account of the fact that the UK could gain jobs in some sectors as a result of increased competition for services. We are the world's second largest exporters of service products especially in financial services. Our service exports at £82 billion are larger than our service imports at £69 billion. Growing international competition in services could see us gain more jobs then we lose.

Road Haulage

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations her Department has received regarding (a) Drivertime Recruitment Ltd. and (b) Drivernet Ltd. of Manchester. [132201]

Mr. Sutcliffe: For reasons of confidentiality my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry cannot comment upon the affairs of individual companies.

The Department's Companies Investigation Branch is however always ready to receive for consideration any information with regard to companies whose activities give cause for concern.

I have already responded to a letter received from the hon. Member for Kettering with regard to this matter.

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