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Russian Economic Forum

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether (a) she and (b) a representative from her Department will be meeting the
 
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Russian Federation's Minister of Energy and Industry during his visit to London to address the Russian Economic Forum in London on 10 to 12 April. [219500]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, met Viktor Khristenko, the Russian Federation's Minister of Energy and Industry, in June during a visit to Moscow. Also, the Director-General Energy met Mr. Khristenko in Moscow in November. The Department is hoping that a further meeting can be arranged with the Secretary of State the next time Mr. Khristenko visits London. This could be during the Russian Economic Forum in London on 10 to 12 April but there could be an earlier meeting. The general position is that DTI Ministers are happy to meet Ministers from the Russian Federation on matters of mutual interest whenever opportunities arise and diaries permit.

UK Economy

Mr. Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which industries the UK enjoys a significant comparative advantage relative to (a) the US, (b) China, (c) India and (d) EU accession countries. [219440]

Mr. Alexander: I am not aware of any analysis that would show in which industries all these countries enjoy a significant comparative advantage relative to each other. However estimates of revealed comparative advantage suggest that the following countries especially specialise in the following sectors:

UK: Financial and insurance, creative and media, aerospace and pharmaceuticals

USA: Aerospace

China: Clothing, textiles, household goods especially brown and white electronic goods, accessories such as suitcases, watches, jewellery, tableware.

I am not aware of an analysis for India and the EU accession countries.

PRIME MINISTER

Annual Report

Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to publish the Government's Annual Report. [220504]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 12 July 2001, Official Report, column 638W.

Intercept Evidence

Mr. Lilley: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 23 February, Official Report, column 302, on intercept evidence, when he saw the advice received by the Leader of the Opposition when he was Home Secretary. [220241]

The Prime Minister: It is a matter of public record that there have been a number of reviews of intercept as evidence, including under the previous administration. None of these recommended a change in the law.
 
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Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether minutes were made of each meeting his special advisers held with the Attorney-General in March 2003 on the preparation of legal advice on the legality of engaging in military action against Iraq. [219448]

The Prime Minister: The meeting which the Attorney-General held with Lord Falconer and Baroness Morgan on 13 March 2003 did not discuss the preparation of legal advice on the legality of engaging in military action against Iraq. I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my noble Friend the Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith) to Baroness Hanham on 28 February 2005, Official Report, column WA1 and the answer given by my noble Friend the Leader of the House of Lords (Baroness Amos) to Earl Attlee on 7 September 2004, Official Report, columns WA96–97.

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister which members of the Cabinet were shown the full text of the Attorney-General's legal advice on the legality of the war of 7 March 2003. [212314]

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Prime Minister what criteria he used in making his decision on whether to show the full advice from the Attorney-General on military action in Iraq to every member of his Cabinet. [219512]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 28 February 2005, Official Report, column 923W.

Legal Advice

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Prime Minister whether he is required under the Ministerial Code of Conduct to show full legal advice received from the Attorney-General relating to matters before the Cabinet to each member of the Cabinet. [219511]

The Prime Minister: Section 1 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance to Ministers on the conduct of Cabinet Business, and advice received from the Law Officers.

September 11

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what representations he has received from the families of British victims of September 11 2001 concerning the investigation of (a) the events that took place in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania on that day and (b) the circumstances leading to those events; and if he will make a statement; [220254]

(2) what representations he has made to President Bush concerning the investigation of the events of September 11 2001; and if he will make a statement. [220255]

The Prime Minister: I received over 7,000 letters following the September 11 terrorist attacks, including some from the families of British victims. A number of these raised the US Government investigation into those attacks and the circumstances leading to them. The Government have had extensive discussions with the US Government, at many levels, about circumstances surrounding the events of 11 September 2001.
 
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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Biodiversity

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact termination of the EU Life Nature Fund would have on her Department's ability to meet its public service agreement target of achieving favourable conditions for 95 per cent. of sites of special interest in England by 2010. [200579]

Mr. Bradshaw: It has not yet been possible to make an assessment of the impact because the European Commission has yet to provide member states with answers to detailed questions about their proposals, including the scope of the proposed LIFE+ Regulation to replace the LIFE Nature Regulation.

Moreover, applications for funding under Life Nature are made by a variety of organisations. I am unable to say which among those with responsibility for aspects of SSSI condition have been expecting to rely on a Life Nature contribution in taking this forward.

Countryside Access

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the transitional arrangements which will be put in place when section 53 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is implemented will require surveying authorities to process to a conclusion all applications for definitive map modification orders on their registers at the cut-off date. [216913]

Alun Michael: There is provision for regulations in section 56(2) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to allow the making of transitional provisions and savings in respect of applications outstanding at the time of the cut-off date.

It is our intention that the regulations under section 56 will provide that all applications entered on the register at the cut-off date will be processed to their conclusion by the surveying authority.

Global Warming

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of possible benefits arising from global warming in respect of (a) lower energy costs and (b) higher crop yield. [218965]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 March 2005]: The information is as follows:

(a) The UK's energy projections take account of the effect of increasing temperatures on energy demand, although we have not identified the impact separately. We are not aware of any detailed studies of the potential for higher temperatures to reduce energy usage globally, although space heating and cooling are both key users of energy, so rising temperatures, whilst reducing winter heating requirements, will lead to increased use of air conditioning, which will counteract and possibly outweigh any gains.
 
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(b) A study entitled Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture was carried out for Defra in 2004 by the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER). Among its findings, the study demonstrated that warmer temperatures resulting from climate change will increase the potential growing season of arable and other crops, earlier sowings will be possible, and crops will grow and ripen faster. In particular, maize will have a higher yield potential in an extended growing season.

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