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Caviar
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much (a) wild and (b) farmed caviar was imported into the UK in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin. [217989]
Alun Michael: I have been asked to reply.
The following table shows UK imports of caviar and caviar substitute for the years 2000 to 2004. Imports for wild and farmed caviar are not separately identified.
Note:
2004 data are subject to amendments until 30 June 2005
Source:
HM Customs and Excise
Data prepared by Trade statistics, Food Chain Analysis 3, DEFRA
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Company Law
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the (a) next steps and (b) timetable for the Government's review of company law; and what proposals she is considering to change the liability of individual directors of UK companies, when a company causes social or environmental damage overseas. [218218]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Parliament has already passed the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, and agreed the Companies Act 1985 (International Accounting Standards and Other Accounting Amendments) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/2947). The Companies Act 1985 (Accounts of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise and Audit Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/16) are also in force. The draft Companies Act 1985 (Operating and Financial Review and Directors' Report etc.) Regulations 2005 have been laid before Parliament for approval.
Completion of implementation of the Company Law Review will be achieved through the Company Law Reform Bill, draft clauses for which will be published this session. The Bill will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time permits.
Department Store Chargecards
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the levels of interest charged on department store chargecards. [218926]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In March 2004, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published a report on the store card market and referred the supply of store card services to the Competition Commission.
The OFT report raised particular concerns about the rate of interest on store cards compared to credit cards; a lack of transparency and clarity for customers; the ability of store card providers to enter the market; and the ability of existing providers to expand market share.
As part of its inquiry, the Competition Commission published its emerging thinking in January this year. It is due to publish its final report by early July.
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Departmental Policies (Havant)
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Havant constituency, the effects on Havant of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [215982]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department of Trade and Industry has provided funding totalling £253,572 since 2 May 1997, to organisations in the Havant constituency through the Small Business Service's grant for Research and Development formerly known as SMART.
In addition the South East England Development Agency, which receives funding from the Department of Trade and Industry and others has provided a range of initiatives that have an impact on Havant. Havant is a SEEDA priority area for economic regeneration and they have invested in excess of £20,000,000 in the Havant area since 1999. Projects include five rounds of Single Regeneration Budget funding targeting more than £9 million at Havant, principally in the Leigh Park area, a £10 million investment in the Broadmarsh area, in particular acquiring 12 hectares of brownfield land that has been developed in four phases providing 7,400 sq m of office and industrial units and £6,300,000 Area Investment Framework funding in South East Hampshire over four years.
EU Committees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i) Committee on security of information systems, (ii) Committee for the implementation of the multi-annual Community action plan on promoting the safe use of the Internet and (iii) Committee on projects of common interest in the field of trans-European telecommunications networks met; when and where each meeting took place; what UK Government expert was present at each meeting; and if she will make a statement. [216725]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Committee on the Security of Information Systems (know as SOGIS) did not meet during the Presidencies of the European Council you have specified. It has not done so since 1998. The Committee on the implementation of the multi-annual Community action plan on promoting the safe use of the
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Internet did not meet during the Italian and Dutch Presidencies; but did so during the Irish Presidency of the EU, on 27 January 2004 in Luxembourg, and was attended by an official from the Home Office.
The Financial Committee and Guidelines Committee for the trans-European telecommunications networks (eTEN) met nine times during the course of the three Presidencies (on 3 October, 29 October and 18 November 2003 and on 20 January, 26 April, 15 July, 23 September, 9 November and 14 December 2004). The meetings took place in Brussels with the exception of that on 3 October 2003, which was held in Milan. On each occasion the United Kingdom was represented by an official from the Digital Content and Publishing Unit of the Department of trade and Industry.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Committee for the management of generalised preferences met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [217837]
Mr. Alexander: Further to the answers given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 979W, and 19 October 2004, Official Report, column 645W, the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Committee met in Brussels three times during the Italian Presidency on 11 July 2003, 13 October 2003, 24 November 2003 and once during the Irish Presidency on 18 June 2004. No GSP Committee took place during the Dutch Presidency.
Both UK and Brussels based staff attended these meetings.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Committee on conformity assessment and surveillance of the telecommunications market met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [217885]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Meetings of the Telecommunications Conformity Assessment and Market Surveillance Committee took place during:
(a) the Italian presidency on 18–19 September 2003 in Luxembourg, when four officials from my Department, one from the Office of Telecommunications and one from the Home Office attended; .
(b) the Irish presidency on 23–24 March 2004 in Luxembourg, when three officials from my Department and one from the Office of Communications attended, and on 21–22 June 2004 in Luxembourg when three officials from my Department and one from the Office of Communications attended; and
(c) the Dutch presidency on 17–18 November 2004 in Brussels when two officials from my Department and one from the Office of Communications attended.
Angus Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on Protection Against
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Subsidised Imports met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [217913]
(2) how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Committee on Defence Against Obstacles to Trade Which Affect the Market of the Community or a Non-member Country met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [217918]
Mr. Alexander: These Committees are not recognised under the tiles given. Matters relating to trade defence issues would have been discussed in the EU Advisory Anti-Dumping and Anti-Subsidy Committee. This Committee met in Brussels as follows:
2 July, 24 July, 3 September, 11 September, 16 October, 17 November, 1 December and 18 December 2003.
Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry attended each meeting.
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