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Direct Payment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which financial institutions have committed to providing a universal banking service through post office branches; how much each institution has committed to pay towards the cost of the Post Office card account; how much remains to be paid; and what the deadline is for payment. [137022]

Mr. Timms: The financial institutions supporting universal banking are Barclays, Lloyds TSB Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland/Nat West, HSBC, Abbey National, HBOS, Alliance and Leicester, NAG, the Co-operative Bank, First Trust, the Bank of Ireland and the Nationwide Building Society. They are each making a basic bank account accessible at post offices, and together they are contributing £180 million to the costs of the Post Office card account. Individual contributions and the schedule of payments are matters of commercial confidentiality.

Energy Policy

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much (a) electricity and (b) other energy her Department has used in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) per square metre; what the projected use is for each of the following years for which forecasts are made; what plans she has to reduce usage; and if she will make a statement. [135058]

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Ms Hewitt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has answered part A and B on 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 404W. The Government's strategy with regard to long term carbon dioxide emissions is set out in the Energy White Paper published in February 2003. The Department of Trade and Industry will play its full part in delivering through its own operations the energy efficiency and carob reduction aims set out in the white paper. Forecasts of energy use for future years are not available, but we have committed to reducing CO2 emissions by at least 1 per cent. per annum. From 1 November all new DTI contracts will meet minimum energy efficiency standards, as well as value for money in line with the commitments laid out in the Energy White Paper.

On top of this the Department purchases electricity from renewables sources equating to almost 30 per cent. of its HQ estate requirement compared to a target of 5 per cent. The Department is also continuing to work toward the Sustainable Development in Government green energy targets, which are to be published by the end of this year.

European Union

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes have taken place in the balance of trade in manufactures with the EU since the UK joined the organisation. [134097]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 6 November 2003]: The UK's trade with the EU has grown steadily since UK membership in 1973. The value of the deficit in trade of manufacturers with the EU in 1973 was 0.3 per cent. of GDP. This grew to 3.0 per cent of GDP in 1989. In 2002 the deficit was 2.1 per cent. of GDP.

These changes since 1973 in the balance of trade with the EU are smaller than those seen with non-EU countries. Over the same period the trade of manufacturers with non-EU countries has gone from a surplus of 2.3 per cent. in 1973, to a deficit of 1.8 per cent. of GDP in 2002.

The UK's membership and increasing economic integration with the EU has generated considerable opportunities for UK businesses and contributed positively to UK prosperity. This has helped drive the twenty fold increase in UK trade in goods with the EU since 1973, compared to the twelve fold rise in trade in goods with non-EU countries.

Gas Act Order

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why there is no requirement that changes to the Gas Act Order go on the public register before they come into force. [136173]

Mr. Timms: The requirements in the Gas Act for Ofgem to keep a Public Register are expressed in broad terms. I understand that it is Ofgem's intention to place a wide range of relevant information on the Public Register once such information is in final form.

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Generators

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many generators burn biomass and wood residues in the United Kingdom; and what her forecast is for the number so doing in (a) 2006, (b) 2010 and (c) 2012. [137096]

Mr. Timms: In 2002, there were eight generating stations in the United Kingdom that burned biomass or wood residues. Figures are not yet available for 2003 but we are aware that up to 17 more biomass schemes could generate electricity in 2003. Forecasts of future electricity generation are not made at this level of detail.

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on a United Kingdom bid to build the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. [136156]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 3 November 2003]: There has been no research commissioned or evaluated on such a United Kingdom bid and no such bid has ever been made. The previous Government decided not to bid for ITER on cost grounds and on the basis that the United Kingdom currently hosts the Joint European Torus (JET) fusion experiment and would be very unlikely to win a bid to host its successor.

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Internet

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many guidance booklets produced by her Department are only accessible via the internet; and if she will make a statement. [137303]

Ms Hewitt: I have understood a guidance booklet to be a publication produced by my Department to give information to the general public. To distinguish the guidance booklets from other DTI publications could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Of 3,306 publications currently available, and notified to my Department's Publications Unit, 847 (25.6 per cent.) are accessible only via the internet. These include publications previously available in hard copy but now out of print.

Iraq

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of contracts awarded for the reconstruction of Iraq to date is; what outstanding contracts remain to be awarded; and to which countries contracts have been awarded, broken down by (a) value and (b) type of contract. [135343]

Ms Hewitt: Contracts for the reconstruction in Iraq are awarded by a number of different agencies. We have information on many of the contracts awarded, (see appendix A) but there is no comprehensive breakdown giving the details requested. We continue to monitor the issuing and awarding of contracts to alert UK companies as appropriate.

Appendix A: List of contracts won by UK firms in Iraq

Who	What
Olive Security	Contract for providing Security Services to Bechtel, Great Lakes Dredging, Titan Salvage, SSA and GE.
ArmorGroup (Global risk management company)	Contracted by Bechtel to guard construction sites and deal with unexploded ordinance
Crown Agents Washington based company Crown Agents Consultancy Inc. (CACI)	International Resources Group (IRG), acting as United States Agency for International Development (USAID) prime contractor contracted CACI , to assist with the procurement, transport and warehouse management of a wide range of goods and materials in support of the setting up of the USAID mission in Kuwait and, as the situation develops, in Iraq.
Aggreko International	Contracted by Bechtel to supply and install generators for temporary power at Umm Qasr. Other possible contracts but no details available.
Halcrow	Bechtel have awarded them two contracts so far:1. to provide marine engineering services at Umm Qasr2. to provide miscellaneous civil engineering services such as damage assessment of bridges.
Cummins UK	Contracted by Bechtel to provide generators for Baghdad International airport and other facilities in Iraq.
Weir Group	Have picked up a small contract from Kellog Brown Root doing assessments for oil field rehabilitation. They hope that this will position them for when actual contacts for the work are let.
Mowlem	Believed to have won a £3 million contract to refurbish a hotel in Basra for use by troops (Source: Building magazine).
Mott MacDonald	Secured undisclosed contract in Iraq (Source: Building magazine).
Baker Wilkins	Secured undisclosed contract in Iraq (Source: Building magazine).
European Land Solutions	Contract for the provision of EOD services to Bechtel country-wide Contract for the provision of clearance diving and EOD services to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company at Umm Qasr Contract for munitions clearance for the United Nations in Northern Iraq
Siemens (UK)	Contract to provide a 22 MW power plant for the refinery in Basra
Solace Enterprises Ltd.	Appointed by RTI (USAID prime contractor) as the sole UK subcontractor providing practitioners to the USAID funded-project to support the development of local institutions in Iraq.
Standard Chartered	Part of consortium that was awarded the contract to run the new Trade Bank in Iraq.
De La Rue Currency	Contract for printing of new Iraqi Dinar
Erinys	Oilfield Security
Datasat	Working on several projects all around data and voice communications infrastructure and services
Kroll Associates	Security for USAID

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