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3 Dec 2003 : Column 104W—continued
EU Constitution
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact the energy provision of the draft European Union Constitution would have on the oil and gas industries operating on the United Kingdom's continental shelf; and what changes would have to be made to the present regime for these industries. [140611]
Mr. Timms: It is not yet clear what the precise effect of the energy chapter would be for the UK oil and gas industries. Although the draft Constitutional Treaty creates a legal base for energy, it does not, for example, bring forward a new regulatory regime. Article 111–157 of the draft Constitutional Treaty sets out EU competence in energy matters, including natural resources, with voting by qualified majority. The UK has proposed amendments which would make it clear that Member States retain control of their natural resources.
Euratom Programme
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the use of the Euratom local facility by the Government since 1997. [141488]
Mr. Timms: Neither the UK Government, nor any UK entity, has taken out a Euratom loan since 1997.
Home Accidents
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish a summary of the representations she has received on the termination of the home accidents surveillance system. [141574]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 18 November 2003, Official Report, column 742W. I will not publish a summary of the representations that I have received on the termination of the home accidents surveillance system. I have received representations on a confidential basis and I do not have permission from any of the individuals or organisations who sent them to make them public.
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Post Office Closures
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about Post Office closures in Eastbourne. [141587]
Mr. Timms: None. Only the representation from the hon. Member for Eastbourne has been received.
Manufacturing
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the change in UK manufacturing output in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [140952]
Ms Hewitt: The Budget forecast for manufacturing output shows growth of between ¼ and ¾ per cent. in
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2003, and growth of between 2 per cent. and 2¾ per cent. in 2004. A new forecast will be presented in the pre-Budget Report on 10 December.
Mining-related Compensation Claims
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average cost charged to her Department by solicitors for mining-related diseases claims handling was in each year since claims were first handled, broken down by solicitors' firm; and if she will make a statement. [140678]
Nigel Griffiths: The solicitors' costs are paid on a tariff basis, under the terms of the Claims Handling Agreements (CHA). Under the CHA the basic costs are:
| COPD | Costs | VWF(25) | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settled expedited offers | £955 + VAT + disbursements | General damages claims in Group 1 occupations | £652 + VAT + disbursements |
| Settled full and final offers | £1,856 + VAT + disbursements | General damages claims in Group 2 occupations | £760 + VAT + disbursements |
| Settled chronic bronchitis only | £531+VAT + disbursements |
(25) Costs for handling services claims are not yet agreed.
Note:
In addition solicitors received additional payments for handling Grant of Probates, disputes procedures and posthumous claims.
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claimants have had interim payments to date through each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claim for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coal miners. [141531]
Nigel Griffiths: As of 23 November 2003 the figures are:
| Top 10 solicitors | Number of claimants with interims paid |
|---|---|
| COPD | |
| Barber & Co. | 3 |
| Beresfords | 243 |
| Browell Smith & Co. | 5,892 |
| Graysons | 2,414 |
| Hugh James | 11,327 |
| Mark Gilbert Morse | 2,644 |
| Raleys | 7,503 |
| Thompsons | 15,519 |
| UDM | 4,275 |
| Watson Burton | 1,744 |
| VWF | |
| Beresfords | 1,852 |
| Browell Smith & Co. | 6,137 |
| Graysons | 6,664 |
| Hugh James | 4,302 |
| Kidd Spoor & Harper | 1,695 |
| Raleys | 6,491 |
| Thompsons | 13,990 |
| Towells | 2,961 |
| UDM | 11,451 |
| Watson Burton | 4,328 |
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to claimants through each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [141532]
Nigel Griffiths: As of 23 November 2003 the figures are:
| Top 10 solicitors | Total damages paid |
|---|---|
| COPD | |
| Barber & Co. | 0.022 |
| Beresfords | 5.6 |
| Browell Smith & Co. | 66.4 |
| Graysons | 24.9 |
| Hugh James | 183.1 |
| Mark Gilbert Morse | 30.3 |
| Raleys | 104.8 |
| Thompson | 183.5 |
| UDM | 46.6 |
| Watson Burton | 21.6 |
| VWF | |
| Beresfords | 15.7 |
| Browell Smith & Co. | 84.0 |
| Graysons | 44.9 |
| Hugh James | 54.3 |
| Kidd Spoor & Harper | 25.3 |
| Raleys | 64.7 |
| Thompsons | 115.0 |
| Towells | 29.5 |
| UDM | 126.3 |
| Watson Burton | 39.0 |
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to date to each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [141533]
Nigel Griffiths: As of 23 November 2003 the figures are:
3 Dec 2003 : Column 107W
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claimants have had final settlements through each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [141534]
Nigel Griffiths: As of 23 November 2003 the figures are:
| Top 10 solicitors | Total settlements |
|---|---|
| COPD | |
| Barber & Co. | 47 |
| Berefords | 2,434 |
| Browell Smith & Co. | 5,797 |
| Graysons | 4,305 |
| Hugh James | 15,607 |
| Mark Gilbert Morse | 4,458 |
| Raleys | 9,926 |
| Thompsons | 14,526 |
| UDM | 8,742 |
| Watson Burton | 3,547 |
| VWF | |
| Beresfords | 1,051 |
| Browell Smith & Co. | 9,725 |
| Graysons | 1,643 |
| Kidd & Spoor Harper | 1,959 |
| Hugh James | 5,799 |
| Raleys | 6,073 |
| Thompsons | 5,915 |
| Towells | 2,588 |
| UDM | 12,757 |
| Watson Burton | 2,390 |
Nuclear Energy
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment of the impact on Britain's spare generating capacity she has made of the continuing repair work to (a) Heysham 1 and (b) Sizewell B power stations; and if she will make a statement. [141541]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 2 December 2003]: Sizewell B returned to operation on 15 November 2003.
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British Energy have stated that they expect Heysham 1 to return to service around the middle of December 2003. The capacity of Heysham 1 is 1165 MW.
In the October 2003 Update of their Seven Year Statement, National Grid Company (NGC) projected total capacity available this winter for England and Wales of 66,697 MW and peak demand of 55,900 MW. Should Heysham 1 be unavailable at the time of peak demand, these figures suggest there could still be up to 9,632 MW more generating capacity than demand, providing cover against other plant breakdowns and exceptional demand levels.
Since NGC issued the October 2003 Update, a further 560 MW of previously mothballed capacity at Killingholme has been returned to service by PowerGen.
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