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Consumers (Definition)

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition her Department uses of the term consumer; and whether it includes (a) businesses and (b) public sector organisations. [193963]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The specific definition of a "consumer" will depend on the market being discussed. In general all recipients/users of the particular good or service for the market under consideration will be included in the definition.

Electricity (Rural Supplies)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to instruct Ofgem to give a high priority to investment by electricity distribution companies to secure supplies to rural areas in the current price renewal process. [192918]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The distribution price control review, which will produce a revised price control effective from April 2005, is a matter between the independent regulator and the distribution companies. Among its statutory duties under section 3 of the Electricity Act 1989, as substituted by section 13 of the Utilities Act 2000, the regulator shall have regard to the interests of rural communities.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to revise the anti-corruption procedures brought into force by the Export Credits Guarantee Department on 1 May; and if she will make a statement. [193170]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 25 October 2004]: While maintaining its commitment to conform to OECD best practice, ECGD is continuing discussions
 
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with customers and representative trade associations with a view to resolving issues surrounding the details and practical application of aspects of its existing bribery and corruption procedures.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions the Export Credits Guarantee Department has made interim arrangements for customers regarding its new anti-corruption procedures since May. [193147]

Mr. Alexander: ECGD's interim arrangements incorporated elements of its previous anti-bribery and corruption procedures that were, themselves, robust. The interim arrangements were consistent with international best practice as defined by the OECD Export Credits Group.

ECGD has applied interim arrangements on four occasions

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations Export Credits Guarantee Department staff have met since January to discuss the anti-corruption procedures brought into force by the ECGD on 1 May; and on how many occasions. [193148]

Mr. Alexander: Officials from ECGD have met with customers and their representative trade associations, including the Society of British Aerospace Companies, the British Exporters Association, the British Bankers Association and the Confederation of British Industry eight times to discuss these procedures.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations (a) she, (b) her Ministers and (c) her Department's staff have met since January to discuss the anti-corruption procedures brought into force by the Export Credits Guarantee Department on 1 May; and on how many occasions meetings have been held in each case. [193149]

Mr. Alexander: The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, other Ministers and officials from both ECGD and DTI meet regularly with UK exporters and their trade bodies. This matter has been discussed on a number of occasions when ECGD's customers and their trade bodies including the Society of British Aerospace Companies, the British Exporters Association, the British Bankers Association and the Confederation of British Industry, have been present.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list (a) the companies and (b) the countries for which the Export Credits Guarantee Department has approved interim arrangements in relation to its anti-corruption procedures since May. [193167]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 25 October 2004]: ECGD's interim arrangements incorporated elements of its previous anti-bribery and corruption procedures that were, themselves, robust. The interim arrangements were consistent with international best practice as defined by the OECD Export Credits Group.

Since May, ECGD approved interim arrangements in respect of three transactions for the supply of Airbus aircraft to buyers in China, El Salvador and the
 
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Netherlands. Details of one further transaction cannot be disclosed in accordance with ECGD's normal policy on disclosure in relation to support provided by way of insurance rather than guarantees. Public disclosure could increase the probability of default and thus the chance of a claim.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations have made representations to her Department, regarding the anti-corruption procedures brought into force by the Export Credits Guarantee Department on 1 May; and if she will place these representations in the Library. [193168]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 25 October 2004]: The following organisations representing many of ECGD's customers have written with respect to the ECGD bribery and corruption procedures: the Society of British Aerospace Companies, the British Exporters Association, the British Bankers Association, the Confederation of British Industry and the British Consultants and Construction Bureau. Copies of these letters will be placed in the Library.

Informal representations were also made by a number of non-governmental organisations.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of the anti-corruption procedures brought in by the Export Credits Guarantee Department on 1 May. [193166]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 25 October 2004]: ECGD's procedures to combat bribery and corruption are consistent with international best practice as defined by the OECD Export Credits Group.

Gas Transmissions (Norway)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the interconnector to allow gas transmissions from Norway will be (a) fully constructed and (b) operational. [193845]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 25 October 2004]: The Norwegian operators for the Langeled pipeline aim to complete construction of the southern section of the pipeline, to link the Sleipner platform on the Norwegian Continental Shelf to Easington in Yorkshire, early in summer 2006. They expect to complete commissioning of the pipeline during summer 2006, ready for operational use by 1 October 2006.

Gas/Electricity Supplies

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the projection for electricity plant margin is for the forthcoming winter; what assessment has been made of the contribution mothballed plant could make to the system; and what estimate she has made of the time which would be required to return mothballed plant to the system. [192737]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: National Grid Transco, in their Winter Outlook Report 2004–05, report that the plant margin for the forthcoming winter is 20.2 per cent. A total of 3.6 GW of plant is currently mothballed of which, 1.2 GW would be readily able to return this winter, increasing the margin to 22.4 per cent. For the
 
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remaining 2.4 GW, NGT considers 0.8 GW would be unlikely to return for this winter. The other 1.6 GW is considered to be unavailable for this winter.

Hydrogen Power

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding the Government has given to research and development projects into hydrogen power in the last year; and how much it is planning to give in each of the next five years. [193286]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department for Trade and Industry does not currently have a specific programme to support industrial collaborative research and development on hydrogen power, but it is likely that hydrogen energy will be one of the areas covered in one or more future calls for proposals under the Technology Programme. Basic university research is supported by the Research Councils, particularly the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Under the EPSRC's Supergen Programme (which supports research on sustainable power generation and supply) a UK Sustainable Hydrogen Energy Consortium (UKSHEC) has been established. This is a four year, £3.5 million initiative involving six universities and other organisations including the Policy Studies Institute. It is targeting multi-disciplinary research on the production, distribution and utilisation of hydrogen including socio-economics aspects of the hydrogen economy.

The Department has also commissioned a study to develop a Strategic Framework for Hydrogen Energy Activities in the UK, which is due to report in mid-November.

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