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24 Mar 2005 : Column 973W—continued
Arms Sales (Indonesia)
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) on what date the Export Credits Guarantee Department was informed of the decisions by Alvis to use Mrs. Siti Rakhmana as an agent in connection with the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia, supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department; [217434]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2005, Official Report, column 1786W, on arms sales (Indonesia), what the name was of the agent that the Export Credits Guarantee Department were aware Alvis had employed in relation to the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia; [217611]
(3) on what date the Export Credits Guarantee Department was made aware that Alvis had employed an agent in relation to the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia. [217610]
Mr. Alexander [holding answer 24 February 2005]: ECGD was informed by Alvis as part of the application process that at least one agent would be employed in connection with contracts to export Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia. The original applications were dated June 1994 and March 1995. At that time, ECGD's application process did not require customers to disclose the names of agents to be employed. ECGD has not been informed subsequently by Alvis (or the BAE Systems group) of the name of any agent that was employed.
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's assessment is of the environmental sustainability of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. [213686]
Mr. Alexander:
ECGD, with the assistance of independent environmental and technical consultants, carried out a rigorous assessment of the environmental, social and human rights impacts and financial and project risks of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project before making its decision on support. Its conclusion was that the environmental, social and human rights impacts of the project had been properly and sufficiently addressed and that the project, as specified, complied in all material respects with relevant guidelines and standards. ECGD's decision to provide support was announced to the House on 17 December 2003, Official Report, column 138WS, and a note of its decision placed in the Libraries of the House and on the ECGD website on the same day.
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ECGD receives regular reports from the project company and from independent consultants that are monitoring the implementation of the project on behalf of all members of the Lender Group. As a result of these reports, ECGD continues to believe that the project is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether breaches of the World Bank's involuntary resettlement policy (OD 4.30) constitute breaches of the project agreements for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. [218293]
Mr. Alexander: A breach of the World Bank involuntary resettlement policy (OD 4.30) would represent a breach of the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) loan agreement for the project if it were considered to have a material effect on the project. Breaches not rectified within a reasonable period, in accordance with the project's Environment and Social Action Plan and the ECGD loan agreement, would constitute an incident for which an event of default could be called.
A Social and Resettlement Action Plan (SRAP) Monitoring Panel, made up of international resettlement and social development experts, has been monitoring the implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan, including the expropriation of land for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project. The SRAP panel's reports are sent to the lender group and are also published on the project website at: www.caspiandevelopmentandexport.com.
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what audits of record-keeping have been carried out by her Department on (a) quality control and (b) health and safety on the Turkey section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. [218294]
WorleyParsons and D'Appolonia, independent expert consultants acting on behalf of ECGD and the other lenders to the ETC project, directly monitor and report to the lenders on quality control and health and safety issues.
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when the Export Credits Guarantee Department was supplied with a copy of Trevor Osborne's 18 June 2004 report on the field assessment of coating damage to the Georgian pipeline; and when she first read the report; [218554]
(2) when the Export Credits Guarantee Department first received the results of ShawCor tests on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline; [218558]
(3) when the Export Credits Guarantee Department first received the results of the BP-commissioned Advantica Laboratory tests on SPC 2888 used on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. [218559]
Mr. Alexander: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) has not seen these reports.
ECGD, and the other members of the lender group, rely on the expert analysis of independent consultants who monitor compliance with appropriate standards and provide ECGD with regular progress reports. Although they may take account of relevant reports
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produced by interested parties which are brought to their attention, with the exception of some of the Advantica laboratory tests, the independent consultants have not seen these particular reports.
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessments of alternative anti-corrosion systems were requested by the Export Credits Guarantee Department prior to the selection of SPC 2888 for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. [218557]
ECGD and the other members of the lender group receive advice from independent consultants on the technical aspects of the project.
The role of the independent consultants was not to re-design the project, nor to seek alternatives, but to confirm that aspects of the pipeline, including SPC 2888, were fit for purpose. As it was content that this was the case, it was not obliged to request assessments of alternatives.
Business Support (Hartlepool)
Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the (a) financial and (b) other assistance, excluding regional development agency grants, her Department has given to businesses in Hartlepool since 1997. [215272]
Nigel Griffiths: Total Core funding of £5.79 million since April 2001 provided to Business Link Tees Valley (BLTV), has laid the foundation on which they have sourced additional funding projected at £20.5 million for the benefit of businesses in Tees Valley, up to 31 March 2005. Such funding and the creation of partnership working allowed the following to be delivered within Tees Valley:
957 established businesses have been helped to increase their productivity through BLTV's impartial brokerage service. These interventions have introduced a range of DTI funded as well as other public and private sector services such as subsidised consultancy (ERDF), training services (TEC/LSC), research and business information etc.
Since April 2003, 768 individuals have been actively helped to develop their business ideas, with interest in enterprise being encouraged in all areas of Hartlepool's community from college students, women entrepreneurs and members of ethnic minority communities, through to disadvantaged wards.
Figures for the enterprise grant scheme before 1 April 2002 are not available, and this scheme transferred to RDA's on 1 April 2004. Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2004, six firms in Hartlepool were granted a total of £112,515.
DTI Small Merit Awards for Research and Technology (SMART)
Figures for the SMART Scheme before 1 April 2002 are not available., Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2004, two firms in Hartlepool were granted a total of £73,488 under this scheme.
Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme
The following table lists the number of loans and the value of guarantees issued to small businesses in the Hartlepool post code area since 1997.
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| Value (£) | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 55,000 |
| 1998–99 | 27,500 |
| 1999–2000 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 253,000 |
| Total | 335,500 |
DTI has also provided funding through its Passport Companies Programme since 2000. This programme, delivered through UKTI provides individual companies with up to £3,000 to assist them to access export markets. We are unable to provide specific figures for Hartlepool at this time.
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