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Anti-bribery/Corruption

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the impact on business opportunities of possible business uncertainty over Export Credits Guarantee Department anti-bribery guidelines. [223891]

Mr. Alexander: ECGD's anti-bribery and corruption procedures introduced in December 2004 remain in force while public consultation on them, which is currently under way and will run until 18 June 2005, is conducted. The December 2004 procedures were put in place having taken account of concerns about the workability of those previously introduced in May 2004 expressed by ECGD's principal customers and their banks.

Copies of the consultation document are available on ECGD's website www.ecgd.gov.uk

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list (a) the companies, (b) the projects and (c) the countries involved in the seven transactions supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department under its May 2004 anti-corruption procedures. [219355]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 3 March 2004]: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) supported 10 transactions in respect of five companies under its May 2004 anti-corruption procedures. In my evidence to the Trade and Industry Committee on 23 February 2005 I referred to the seven such companies based on factually incorrect briefing. I wrote to the Committee chair to correct the evidence on 11 March 2005. Of these transactions, nine relate to insurance provided by ECGD. It is ECGD's policy not to disclose details of insurance it provides, or the fact of having provided insurance, where it considers the disclosure of such information might increase the likelihood of default by the bodies whose payment obligations ECGD is insuring. This is because, the commercial interests of ECGD and the U.K economy would be prejudiced by a default. Pursuant to that policy the nine insurance cases referred to have not been publicised.

ECGD supported one non-insurance case in the relevant period for Alderley Systems Ltd. in respect of the supply of product loading meters for ships to Iran.

Arms Sales (China)

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effects of the UK position on lifting the EU embargo on arms sales to China on (a) the UK balance of trade with the USA and (b) the UK arms industry. [209743]

Nigel Griffiths: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Bankruptcies (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) personal and (b) company bankruptcies in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough there were in each of the last three years for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of recent trends; and if she will make a statement. [212377]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It has not-proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Beer

Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had since 2002 with (a) the Campaign for Real Ale and (b) other stakeholders on beer drinkers receiving a full pint on licensed premises; and what steps are being taken to encourage a consensus among stakeholders. [224810]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department expects to announce the outcome of its consultations on the full pint of beer. [224811]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Broadband

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the cost to public funds of extending broadband to every home in the UK. [221563]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government's approach to ensure they meet their target of having the most extensive and competitive broadband market in the G7 by 2005, has focused on stimulating competition in the marketplace, in preference to subsidising individual companies to roll out broadband services.

In November 2003 my hon. Friend the Member for East Ham, the then Minister for E-Commerce called on all stakeholders to bring broadband availability to all communities in Britain by the end of 2005. BT's 2004 announcement to upgrade their telephone exchanges means that by this summer, over 99 per cent. of all homes and businesses in the UK will be able to receive broadband on their network alone.

To ensure that as many people and businesses as possible are able to access broadband services, the Government provided £30 million through the UK Broadband Fund to stimulate supply and demand in rural areas. This funding was distributed through the Regional Development Agencies and devolved administrations and helped to develop innovative broadband related schemes to meet local requirements. In addition to this amount, RDA's and devolved administrations have contributed in excess of £200 million in promoting coverage and take-up of broadband.
 
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Burma

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the discussions which she has had with representatives of British holiday companies regarding the promotion of tours in Burma; and if she will make a statement. [202839]

Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Business Prosecutions

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many prosecutions of (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) large businesses were brought in 2003–04 for breaches of regulations sponsored by her Department; how much in total was imposed in fines in each case; and how many visits were made in 2003–04 by officials from her Department or agencies for which her Department is responsible to verify regulatory compliance in each case. [217178]

Nigel Griffiths: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Businesses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses went into receivership in each of the past 17 years, broken down by region. [219892]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 4 March 2005]: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses have registered for VAT in Tamworth in each year since 1997. [221926]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Carbon Monoxide

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will introduce a levy on gas supply companies to be used for publicity and research on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. [224690]

Mr. Pond: I have been asked to reply.

We have no proposals for introducing a statutory levy. The Health and Safety Executive is working with the major gas supply companies on voluntary funding for a gas safety publicity strategy that includes the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Agreement has been reached with the Energy Retail Association (representing the six largest suppliers) and the first campaigns commenced winter 2004–05.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will instruct gas emergency services to carry and use equipment to test for and detect carbon monoxide. [224697]

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
 
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There are legal duties under gas safety legislation that require gas emergency service providers to attend and make safe appliances that are suspected of spilling combustion products such as carbon monoxide. It is for the service providers to determine the equipment they need to carry out this duty.

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