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Internet Drug Sales

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department has taken to prevent companies from abroad advertising via the internet drugs for sale that are only available in the UK with a prescription from a general practitioner. [183495]

Mr. Timms: The responsibility for regulating medicines lies with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is an Executive Agency of the Department of Health. Accordingly, my officials will write to the Chief Executive of MHRA Professor Kent Woods asking him
 
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to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Manufacturing

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action the Government are taking to promote manufacturing sector jobs (a) in Havering and (b) in the UK. [184250]

Jacqui Smith: With the Government's Manufacturing Strategy—the first for over 30 years—which we developed in partnership with industry, trade unions, and other stakeholders, we are taking a range of actions to create a modern manufacturing sector with a highly skilled, highly paid workforce. We published a review of the Government's Manufacturing Strategy on 15 July 2004, highlighting what has been achieved since the Strategy was established in May 2002. Details of the review are available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/manufacluring .

Manufacturers in Havering benefit from the actions the London Development Agency is taking to ensure a strong and sustained manufacturing base through its support of the London Production Industries Commission, and the London Manufacturing Advisory Service which has handled over 2,200 enquiries and added value of nearly £3 million a year to manufacturing companies in London in its first two years. The Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence in Dagenham also provides educational and training opportunities for local industry, including that of Havering, with access to leading edge technology through links with Ford, their suppliers and other local and international companies.

Metric Standardisation

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effects on the UK of metric standardisation in terms of trade with (a) Europe and (b) the rest of the world; and if she will make a statement on the impact on British competitiveness of the transition to metric standardisation. [182741]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It is Government's understanding that many business sectors undertook metric standardisation in the 1960s and 1970s. The Department has no recent information on the extent to which particular sectors may not have undertaken metric standardisation.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to promote the completion of the UK's transition to metric standardisation. [182742]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government do not see a need to promote metric standardisation. All business sectors are free to undertake metric standardisation where they see benefits in doing so.

National Grid

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has held with representatives of National Grid Transco regarding the maintenance of the grid system. [185453]

 
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Mr. Timms: As part of the regular contracts Ministers and officials have with National Grid Transco, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met with Roger Urwin the company's Chief Executive on 9 February 2004. A range of issue were discussed at the meeting including those arising from the Engineering Inspectorate's investigation following the major power failures last year. Maintenance and repair were factors that were looked at as part of the investigation.

Nuclear Power Stations

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the age of each nuclear power station in the UK. [185338]

Mr. Timms: British Energy and BNFL's operational stations commenced operations in the following years:
British Energy

Year commenced	Station
1976	Hinkley Point B
1976	Hunterston B
1983	Dungeness B
1983	Heysham l
1983	Hartlepool
1988	Heysham 2
1988	Torness
1995	Sizewell B

BNFL

Year commenced	Station
1966	Dungeness A
1966	Sizewell A
1968	Oldbury
1971	Wylfa

Post Offices

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) post offices and (b) sub-post offices have closed within the Greater London area during each of the last five years. [185340]

Mr. Timms: Data for Greater London are available from March 2000. The net closure figures for the London region are:

Year to end March	Number
2001	10
2002	16
2003	(7)44
2004	(8)155

⁽⁷⁾ Including 11 under the urban reinvention programme.
⁽⁸⁾ Including 142 under the urban reinvention programme.

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of people who use post offices threatened with closure at (a) The Green, Bearsted, (b) The Spires, Downswood and (c) Roseacre, Bearsted. [185159]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 19 July 2004]: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
 
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Privacy

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to require the manufacturers of phones with camera and video functions to incorporate an audible beep or ring when these functions are used in order to safeguard the privacy of those being photographed. [185627]

Mr. Timms: The Government have no plans to make this a policy requirement. Some mobile phone manufacturers already set their handsets to make a noise particularly when the camera function is used. We are aware that other manufacturers are reviewing their position in the light of concerns expressed by consumers etc.

Regional Development Agencies

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) running costs and (b) total expenditure of each of the regional development agencies in England was for each year since each was established. [185008]

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 11 May 2004, Official Report, column 247W.

Renewable Energy

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the prospects for achieving the 2010 renewables energy target. [185545]

Mr. Timms: The target is challenging but we believe it remains achievable. We have worked hard to put an attractive system for new investment in place and the industry is responding.

There are many areas where there is still a great deal of work to be done such as the planning system both onshore and offshore and the development of the grid network. However, we are working closely with all the relevant interests, for example, via mechanisms such as the Wind Energy and Civil and Military Aviation Working Group, to ensure that any outstanding issues are resolved in a timely fashion.

The review of our primary support mechanism, the Renewables Obligation, will enable us to assess progress towards the target and consider in detail the points on incentives made by the final report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, on the practicalities of renewables.

Special Advisers

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the reductions in the numbers of civil servants in her Department announced in the spending review will be of special advisers. [185482]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 July 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 190W.
 
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