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19 Oct 2004 : Column 643W—continued
Consumer Codes Approval Scheme
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the Office of Fair Trading first invited industry bodies to apply under the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme; which sector bodies have applied to date; and at what stage each application is. [191631]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 15 October 2004]: The Office of Fair Trading is responsible for the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme. I will ask the Chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Consumer Safety
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) central and (b) local mechanisms are in place to ensure that (i) British manufactured and (ii) imported consumer products are legally safe. [192391]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The General Product Safety Regulations 1994 require that all consumer products placed on the market must be safe. In addition, there are a number of pieces of sector specific legislation which regulate the safety of particular products such as toys, cosmetics and furniture. The legislation relates to products placed on the market whether they are produced in the UK or imported. Enforcement of product safety is principally conducted by local authority trading standards departments in England, Wales and Scotland and by local authority environmental health officers in Northern Ireland.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources are available for the carrying out of test purchases of products on the market to ensure they satisfy consumer protection legislation. [192392]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
Enforcement of product safety, including test purchases, is principally conducted by local authority trading standards Departments in England, Wales and Scotland and local authority environmental health officers in Northern Ireland.
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There are 202 such authorities in total. It is for the individual authorities to determine what resources they devote to test purchases.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the closure of the Consumer Safety Unit. [192393]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In order to better achieve our target of having among the best consumer protection and empowerment and competition regimes in the world, consumer safety has been integrated with the work of other units in the Department's Consumer and Competition Policy Directorate and Standards Policy Directorate. The UK is one of the safest places in Europe for consumers and we are working to maintain and improve that position.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many consumer products have been checked under section 28 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, broken down by (a) product type and (b) result. [192401]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Information on test purchases by local enforcement authorities is not collected centrally.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2004, Official Report, column 986W, on product safety, if she will make a statement on the (a) consultation on the draft regulations implementing the General Product Safety Directive and (b) the progress made towards implementing the regulations. [192550]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Transposition of the revised General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC continues to be a complex exercise. Officials are currently working with parliamentary counsel and Cabinet Office Legal Advisers to resolve a few last very detailed issues that have arisen out of the drafting process. This has led to some further delay but we hope to publish the second consultation on the basis of the draft regulations shortly.
Entrepreneurship Education
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department has taken to promote enterprise among the over 50s; and if she will make a statement. [190839]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
In addition to its support for enterprise promotion across all age ranges, the DTI supports projects targeted at people over 50. As part of its support for Community Finance Development Institutions (CDFIs) it provides support to The PRIME Initiative Ltd., a national organisation offering access to finance for people over 50 seeking to set up a new business, where other lending institutions are traditionally reluctant do so. The Department's Enterprise Promotion Fund (EPF) is sponsoring enterprise awareness projects for the over 50s in North Yorkshire and Northumberland. These projects aim to construct a more robust bridge to enterprise by first demonstrating the possibility of starting a business and then signposting to the most appropriate support agency.
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EU Committees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the management of generalised preference met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [191601]
Mr. Alexander: Further to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 19 November 2003, Official Report, columns 979–80W, the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Committee met in Brussels once during the Greek presidency on 25 March 2003. In addition, the GSP Working Party met on 27 February and 5 March 2003 to discuss changes to the GSP scheme. Both UK and Brussels-based staff attended these meetings.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total outstanding debt owed to the Export Credits Guarantee Department by each country on guaranteed business since 1991 is; and what the (a) amounts at risk, (b) unrecovered claims and (c) the Moratorium Interest accrued on the unrecovered claim is for each country. [192449]
Mr. Alexander: As at 30 September 2004, ECGD's amounts at risk and unrecovered claims on business issued since 1 April 1991 were as detailed in the following table.
As at 30 September 2004, there were no markets with Moratorium Interest arrears relating to business issued since 1 April 1991, as all such interest accrued to date under rescheduling agreements has been paid by the debtors.
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Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department has been approached for claims in relation to the Omkareshwar Dam Project in India. [192450]
Mr. Alexander:
ECGD has not paid a claim or provided cover for a project of this description.
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