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20 Nov 2003 : Column 1435W—continued
Post Office Closures
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will obtain from the Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd. a list of consultation exercises carried out by Post Office Counters since 1 January concerning proposed closures of urban (a) sub-post offices and (b) branch offices; how many and what percentage of such exercises resulted in the intention to close being withdrawn; and if she will place the information in the Library. [139214]
Mr. Timms: Proposals for closures of branch offices, and of sub-post offices under the urban network reinvention programme, are put out to public consultation in accordance with the code of practice agreed with Postwatch. Final decisions on closure proposals, after consideration of representations received, are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices were closed in Dorset between June 2001 and June 2003; and if she will make a statement on her policy in relation to possible future closures.[R] [139827]
Mr. Timms: I understand that since March 2000 the company has recorded details of post office closures, including those under the urban reinvention programme, which commenced in late 2002, on the basis of Government region and country. It does not record details of closures on a county basis, as it has no
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operational need for such data. However, I understand from Post Office Ltd. that in the South West region of England there were net closures of 82 post offices between end June 2001 and end June 2003.
The Government has placed a requirement on Post Office Ltd. to maintain the rural network and to prevent avoidable closures of rural offices. The development of post office closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. within the framework of the Code of Practice agreed with Postwatch and the requirement that at the end of the programme 95 per cent. of the population in urban areas will still live within one mile of a post office.
Postal Services
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Postcomm on the exemption for UK postal service providers from VAT; and if she will make a statement. [140121]
Mr. Timms: The Department has a regular dialogue with Postcomm on a wide range of postal issues concerning the postal market. The particular issue of the VAT exemption is a matter for the Treasury.
Preferential Trade Status (Israel)
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Israel's preferential trade status with the EU. [137176]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have not been able to answer this question before Prorogation. I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy in the Libraries of the House.
Privatisation (Advertising Budgets)
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the advertising budget was for each privatisation of a nationalised industry since 1979. [140395]
Ms Hewitt: I have not been able to answer this question before Prorogation. I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy in the Libraries of the House.
Radiation-related Illness
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what compensation has been paid by nuclear companies to those suffering from radiation-induced illness in each of the past 20 years. [140394]
Mr. Timms: I have not been able to answer this question before Prorogation. I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy in the Libraries of the House.
SMEs
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to increase the audit exemption levels for small and medium-size companies; and if she will make a statement. [140216]
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Nigel Griffiths: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 19 November that the audit exemption threshold would be increased to £5.6 million turnover.
This will help relieve some administrative burdens on up to 69,000 companies.
Solar PV Programme
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government will announce the start date for the solar PV major demonstration programme phase two. [139491]
Mr. Timms: The £20 million First Phase of the Major Photovoltaic Demonstration Programme is due to end in March 2005. It is intended that decisions on further funding for PV will be made in the first half of 2004.
State Aid
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 29 October 2003, Official Report, column 257W, on state aid, if she will list the occasions since 1997 when the Government has made representations (a) in response to notices published in the Official Journal in accordance with Article 88 (2) of the EC Treaty, (b) in cases before the European Court of Justice and (c) on behalf of UK businesses; and if she will make a statement. [137136]
Jacqui Smith: As indicated in my reply on 29 October no register of interventions is maintained. Such information could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Technology Sector
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Government action to encourage the growth of the technological sector in the United Kingdom. [135504]
Ms Hewitt: I have not been able to answer this question before Prorogation. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the Government intends to encourage home grown United Kingdom technological manufacturers. [135510]
Ms Hewitt: I have not been able to answer this question before Prorogation. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Libraries of the House.
Telephone Masts
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many telephone masts there are in (a) Somerset, (b) Devon, (c) Dorset, (d) Wiltshire and (e) Cornwall. [136901]
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Mr. Timms: According to information registered on the Radiocommunications Agency's Sitefinder, which shows the location of cellular transmission sites, the number of transmitters in the counties specified isapproximately:
- (a) Somerset: 270;
(b) Devon: 660;
(c) Dorset: 230;
(d) Wiltshire: 320;
(e) Cornwall: 370.
Tobacco
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what support her Department offers to British cigarette manufacturers seeking to develop markets in the developing world. [138620]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: UK Trade and Investment, in principle, provides services to all UK companies selling legal products, through the provision of trade, investment and political information on overseas markets, taking into account local circumstances. Special guidelines apply however for the tobacco industry, where Diplomatic Posts must not be associated with the promotion of tobacco products for example by accepting sponsorship for activities, or advertisements in publications, or attending events designed overtly to promote them.
Trade (USA)
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will examine the use of (a) mutual and (b) multilateral legal assistance treaties by the United States of America in enforcing end-user control. [138599]
Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
Where there is a case of diversion or fraud by a private individual, we already look to co-operate with the authorities of friendly countries to bring the perpetrators to justice. Legal assistance treaties are of little use in cases of alleged misuse by governments.
Trade Missions
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a trade mission will be sent to Kuwait in the near future; and what plans she has to establish better trading relations with Kuwait. [135515]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The United Kingdom has established and productive trading relationships with Kuwait. The Gulf region is traditionally an important market for UK goods and services and the UK commercial presence there is strong.
We have a regular programme of outward Trade missions to Kuwait, and to the Gulf region as a whole, as part of the range of activities we sponsor in support of UK companies wishing to enter and expand into overseas markets.
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