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23 Mar 2004 : Column 728W—continued
Wanless Report
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is planning to take in response to the Wanless report on public health. [162786]
Miss Melanie Johnson: We have transformed the National Health Service through extra investment and the hard work of staff.
We are turning our attention to the key public health challenges—obesity, smoking and sexually transmitted infections- and continue to reduce health inequalities.
We will respond to Wanless Report through the forthcoming White Paper on improving people's health. This will be informed by 'Choosing Health', launched on 3 March, which will look at the action required to improve people's health.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
End of Life Vehicles Directive
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the End of Life Vehicles Directive, on (a) the number of old and inefficient polluting vehicles on the road, (b) the number of cars abandoned and (c) the price of scrapping an old car. [163138]
Mr. Timms: Implementation of the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive is not expected to affect significantly the average age of vehicles being scrapped. The Department's Regulatory Impact Assessment of 20 June 2002, relating to the Government's decision to introduce producer responsibility for free take-back of all complete ELVs from 2007, did include an estimate of the potential for an increase in the level of vehicles abandoned annually. That estimate was, however, made before the Government took a number of initiatives to bear down on the problem of abandoned vehicles, and was based on ELV processing and treatment costs of £60, whereas latest estimates put these at £16–39. The cost to a last owner of scrapping an old car depends upon a number of factors, including location, age, make, and condition, and the prevailing price of scrap metal.
Energy Supplies
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on (a) recent trends in investment in renewable energy and (b) the effect of those trends upon residents in Buckingham. [161568]
Mr. Timms: Recent trends in renewable energy investment have been highly encouraging. More new capacity has been constructed in the last few years than in the previous decade, and a significant amount is currently in the pipeline. This covers a wide range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass.
I am not aware of any proposals for new development in Buckingham arising from these trends.
EU Regional Policy
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government have discussed the proposal for EU Regional Policy with the European Commission; and if she will make a statement. [160739]
Jacqui Smith: I attended an Informal Ministerial meeting in Portlaoise on 27 February, where the future of EU Regional Policy was discussed. I set out the UK's proposals for reform of the Structural and Cohesion Funds post-2006. A range of views were put forward by the Commission and by other member states.
Negotiations on the reform of EU Regional Policy are still at an early stage. The decision on the 2007–13 Structural and Cohesion Funds must be made by unanimity. Currently, there is no consensus among member states on the best way forward.
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Supermarket Supply
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to strengthen the Code of Practice between supermarkets and suppliers. [162652]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading has recently announced an audit of the supermarkets own records to determine whether there is evidence to support complaints about the code made by various suppliers. DTI is ready to look closely at their findings and any recommendations for action.
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received proposing (a) a statutory code of practice between supermarkets and suppliers and (b) a retail regulator. [162653]
Mr. Sutcliffe: There have been a number of representations from hon. Members.
British Electricity Trading andTransmission Arrangements
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the likely increase in transmission charges for Scottish generators further to the British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements package of reforms. [162942]
Mr. Timms: The DTI together with Ofgem has carried out an analysis of the possible impact of BETTA as part of the Energy Bill Regulatory Impact Assessment. This includes an analysis of the increases in transmission charges on Scottish generation. The RIA can be found at: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/leg and reg/acts/ria.pdf
Chiefly the RIA found that the main market participants, British Energy and the two vertically integrated incumbents, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern would be exposed to initial costs of around £7.5 million and ongoing costs of some £0.5 million per annum. It is important to note that this excludes the redistributive effects brought about by a Great Britain wide transmission-charging regime.
However transmission charges for Scottish generators have yet to be finalised. National Grid, the GB System Operator designate, launched the start of their consultation process on transmission charging under BETTA in December 2003. Subsequently and following discussion with the industry, Ofgem and DTI, National Grid published an addendum to the original consultation setting out how charges may vary with different assumptions. National Grid will shortly be publishing their next consultation document, and will issue its final proposals in time for Ofgem to consider and approve by the end of October. National Grid's consultation documents can be found on their website.
The increase in transmission charges to Scottish generators needs to be seen in the context of a package of reforms that make up BETTA. This increase will be offset by the removal of current interconnector charges and charges for access to the England and Wales market. There will also be lower connection charges for Scottish generation.
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Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish in full the Ofgem estimates of the net impact of British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements on Scottish generators. [162943]
Mr. Timms: The DTI together with Ofgem has carried out an analysis of the possible impact of BETTA as part of the Energy Bill Regulatory Impact Assessment, including an analysis of the impact of BETTA on Scottish generation. The RIA can be found at: www. dti.gov.uk/energy/leg and reg/acts/ria.pdf
Company Investment (Middle East)
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice is given to UK companies on investment in (a) Israel and (b) the Occupied Territories of Palestine. [162037]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) does not actively promote investment opportunities overseas in any particular market. UKTI monitors commercial developments in Israel and the Palestinian territories and alerts UK companies on a case by case basis to specific opportunities in each market. UKTI is ready to offer general advice and support to all UK companies wishing to invest overseas, but it is for the companies themselves to judge the benefits and risks of overseas investment in any market and take decisions accordingly.
Conferences and Seminars
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 12 March 2004, Official Report, col. 1775W, on conferences and seminars, for what reason she does not maintain a central register of the (a) number and (b) cost of conferences and seminars held since June 2001. [162604]
Ms Hewitt: Responsibility for conferences and seminars rests with individual business units in DTI. Statistics on such events with associated costs are not normally required for business reasons and are therefore not collected centrally.
Export Contracts (Iraq)
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the (a) type and (b) value of export contracts to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence for each year since 1979; and if she will list those contracts which were supported by export credits. [148539]
Ms Hewitt: I apologise for the delay in responding to this question. This Department does not keep records of contracts to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence.
From records available, the contracts with Iraqi defence ministries which were supported by ECGD's Project Group during this period were as follows:
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Additionally during this period ECGD's Insurance Services Group—privatised in 1991—provided credit insurance cover for a number of contracts with Iraqi defence ministries on cash or short terms of payment. From the partial records available at the time of Lord Justice Scott's Inquiry (comprehensive records were only available from 1987), ECGD was able to document having approved over £220 million of credit limits in respect of business on such terms with Iraqi defence ministries, but corresponding records of the amount of business actually transacted against these limits were not available. ECGD did not require to be advised of the types of goods supported under these short term policies although it was a condition of cover that an export licence be obtained by the exporter where this was required.
This information was made available by ECGD to Lord Justice Scott at the time of his Inquiry.
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