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Air Travel (Financial Protection)

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will respond to the consultation by the Civil Airports Authority on financial protection for travellers and package holidaymakers. [138454]

Mr. Sutcliffe: We have asked the Civil Aviation Authority to provide us with copies of the responses they have received to their consultation on Financial Protection for Air Travellers. We will consider these

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responses carefully along with any recommendations that the CAA make to Government as a result of this Consultation.

Animal Welfare

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the kind of experiments animals are used in; what controls are in place to reduce to reduce the unnecessary waste of animals; and what measures are in place to ensure that companies cannot purchase animals for excessively cruel procedures. [136144]

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.

The use of animals in scientific procedures is regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which is widely viewed as the most rigorous piece of legislation of its type in the world. It offers a high level of protection to animals whilst recognising the need to use animals in medical research, the development of new medicines and scientific testing. It also has sufficient flexibility to allow the latest ideas and technology to be taken into account when deciding whether the use of animals is justified.

Under Section 5 (3) of the 1986 Act, project licences are only granted for programmes of work that satisfy one or more of the following purposes: the prevention (whether by the testing of any product or otherwise) or the diagnosis or treatment of disease, ill-health or abnormality, or their effects, in man, animals or plants; the assessment, detection, regulation or modification of physiological conditions in man, animals or plants; the protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of man or animals; the advancement of knowledge in biological or behavioural sciences; education or training otherwise than in primary or secondary schools; forensic enquiries; the breeding of animals for experimental or other scientific use.

In determining whether and on what terms to grant a project licence, Section 5(4) of the 1986 Act requires that the likely adverse effects on the animals concerned must be weighed against the benefit likely to accrue as a result of the programmespecified on the application. For the purposes of this cost/benefit assessment, the cost to the animal is considered as the adverse effects of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. The benefits must be for humans, animals or the environment and relate to the scientific and/or medical progress likely to result from the programme outlined in the application.

Under section 5 (5) of the 1986 Act, a project licence shall only be granted if the purpose of the programme to be specified in the licence cannot be achieved satisfactorily by any other reasonably practicable method not entailing the use of animals; and that the regulated procedures to be used are those which use the minimum number of animals, involve animals with the lowest degree of neurophysiological sensitivity, cause the least pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm, and are most likely to produce satisfactory results.

Under section 10(2A) and Schedule 2A to the 1986 Act, the Secretary of State will not licence any procedures likely to cause severe pain or distress that cannot be alleviated.

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Consumer Credit

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if her Department will initiate discussions with Leeds University Business School about research it has recently conducted on debt collectors. [138594]

Mr. Sutcliffe: We are currently considering the research prepared by the Credit Management Research Centre at Leeds University Business School on debt collectors.

We will discuss the findings with the industry at large.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to standardise the cooling off period for consumer credit contracts and agreements. [138595]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government have no plans at present to standardise existing cooling off periods for consumer credit contracts and agreements.

Consumer Rights (Energy)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with Energywatch on measures to help elderly consumers develop a greater understanding of their rights in relation to energy companies. [138674]

Mr. Timms: I have discussed with Energywatch some of its proposals to assist vulnerable consumers, including the elderly. Energywatch is committed to making its information and advice services fully accessible to all consumers, particularly vulnerable consumers. It provides information, advice and guidance direct to those consumers in their own communities, helping them be more assertive and confident in dealing with energy companies. Energywatch also works with other agencies to reach elderly and other vulnerable consumers. Its activities in areas such as fuel poverty, debt prevention and management, energy efficiency and promoting access to the competitive market directly benefit elderly consumers, as do its campaigns on mis-selling, erroneous transfers and billing and metering.

Debt Management Companies

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for the statutory regulation of debt management companies. [139092]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Companies providing debt management services are required to be licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Under the Act the Chairman of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has a statutory duty to ensure applicants for a licence are fit to engage in the activities for which they are licensed.

In December 2001 the OFT issued guidelines to debt management companies to ensure they deal fairly and openly with consumers—the Debt Management Guidance (December 2001) OFT366. A copy of the guidance can be found in the Libraries of the House.

The guidance requires that companies offering debt management services should comply with the best practice identified in it. Where the OFT has evidence of practices breaching the guidelines they can take action to refuse or revoke the consumer credit licence, or

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take such other action as appropriate under other legislation (e.g. Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations etc).

The Consumer Credit White Paper will set out Government measures for reform of the current licensing system in order to ensure it remains relevant in today's marketplace, enables consumers to make informed decisions through increasing transparency, and provides suitable enforcement measures to allow the OFT to deal with those companies who act in a manner inconsistent with the best practice laid out in the Act and Guidance.

Home Accident Surveillance System

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 11 September, Official Report, column 392W, to the hon. Members for Cunninghame, South and for Gateshead East and Washington, West, on the Home Accident Surveillance System, if she will place copies of the representations in the Library; and if she will publish the information from the Home Accident Surveillance System for 2000 to 2002. [138659]

Mr. Sutcliffe: I will not place copies of the representations in the Libraries of the House. I have received these on a confidential basis and I do not have permission from any of the individuals or organisations who sent them to make them public.

I plan to publish the back data from 2000 to 2002 in December.

India

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the UK trade and investment relationship with India. [138201]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The bilateral trade and investment relationship between the UK and India is increasingly strong. In 2002, bilateral trade in goods and services was worth some £5 billion. In the first eight months of 2003, UK exports of goods to India rose by over 29 per cent. against the same period in 2002.

The UK is the fourth largest investor in India (after Mauritius, USA and Japan). India is an increasingly important investor in the UK. The UK receives approximately 60 per cent. of all Indian investment into Europe. There are over 450 Indian companies with a base in the UK; approximately 75 per cent. of these are in the ICT/software sector.

I look forward to visiting India in the new year to see for myself how our bilateral trade and investment relationship is progressing.

Milk Processing Industry

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the milk processing industry on (a) prices and (b) profitability in that industry. [139600]

Mr. Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no recent discussions with representatives of the milk processing industry on prices and profitability.

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Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to investigate the implementing of further merger activity in the milk processing industry. [139601]

Mr. Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has no such plans. With the coming into force of the Enterprise Act on 20 June 2003, decisions on new merger situations are taken by the independent competition authorities, not Ministers.

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