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Disability Discrimination

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on small businesses of the uncertainties regarding the Disability Discrimination Act 2000 set out in the recent information campaign by the Department for Work and Pensions. [222212]

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

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints relating to discrimination on the basis of (a) age, (b) gender, (c) race and (d) sexual preference were made against her Department in each year between 1997 and 2004, broken down by complaints by (i) full-time employees, (ii) part-time employees and (iii) job applicants; and what the outcome was in each case. [221138]

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

Electronic Devices

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many electronic devices are owned by the Department, broken down by type. [207675]

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

E-mail Access

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate the proportion of the adult population in (a) the UK, (b) the South West and
 
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(c) South Gloucestershire who had domestic access to e-mail (i) in the latest year for which estimates are available and (ii) five years earlier. [218010]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 24 February 2005]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Emigration Consultants

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to license emigration consultants and companies dealing with inquiries from would-be emigrants from the UK. [217341]

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

Employment Appeals Tribunal

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many (a) industrial tribunal cases and (b) appeals to the Employment Appeals Tribunal since 1997, the band of reasonable responses test has been used as the test for deciding the fairness of a dismissal. [220479]

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

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review the working of the band of reasonable responses test in (a) industrial tribunal cases and (b) Employment Appeals Tribunal cases for deciding whether a dismissal was fair; and if she will make a statement. [220481]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 8 March 2005]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Energy Policy/Research

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government's hydrogen energy strategy will be published. [215540]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Last year the DTI commissioned a study to develop a strategic framework for hydrogen energy activities in the UK. This was undertaken by E4tech, Element Energy and Eoin Lees Energy and was completed in December. A report of their analysis has been placed on the DTIs publications website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/hydrogen_framework_full.pdf from which it can be downloaded. We will be considering the specific recommendations carefully, and will publish these, together with our response shortly.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much and what percentage of public expenditure on energy research and development was spent on research and development for (a) nuclear fission, (b) nuclear fusion, (c) fossil fuel generation and (d) renewable energy sources in each year since 1997. [224020]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 April 2005]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much and what percentage of public expenditure on energy research and development for the financial year 2004–05 is planned to be spent on research and development for (a) nuclear fission, (b) nuclear fusion, (c) fossil fuel generation and (d) renewable energy sources. [224021]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 April 2005]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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 Committee for implementation of multiannual framework programme for actions in the safety of nuclear installations in the countries participating in the Tacis programme met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [215484]

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

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) Joint Committee with the countries of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), (ii) Joint Committee on the Agreement concerning products of the clock and watch industry between the EEC and Switzerland and (iii) Joint Committee on the Agreement between Switzerland and the EEC on the processing traffic in textiles met; when and where each meeting took place; what UK Government expert was present at each meeting; and if she will make a statement. [216726]

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

Angus Robertson: To ask the State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on Restrictive Practices and Dominant Positions met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217898]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Advisory Committee on Restrictive Practices and Dominant Positions is the body through which the European Commission carries out its duty to consult member states on decisions under, and amendments to, EC competition law which it proposes to adopt.

Between 1 July 2003 and 31 December 2004, the Advisory Committee met 32 times in Brussels to discuss proposed Commission antitrust decisions: in all, 29draft decisions were discussed. The Office of Fair Trading represented the UK at all meetings, usually accompanied by a representative of a UK sectoral regulator if there was a sectoral interest. The decisions discussed included one against Microsoft for abuse of its
 
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dominant position and 12 cartel cases, including those involving copper plumbing tubes, sorbate food preservatives and carbon and graphite products.

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 Advisory Committee on Concentrations between Undertakings met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217902]

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

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 Advisory Committee on Protection Against Dumped Imports met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [217912]

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

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 (i) on Fees, Implementation Rules and the Procedure of the Boards of Appeal of the Office of Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trademarks and Designs), (ii) for the Implementation of the Multiannual Community Programme to Stimulate the Establishment of the Information Society in Europe and (iii) on Electronic Signatures met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [218432]

Mr. Alexander: The Committee on Fees, Implementation Rules and the Procedure of the Boards of Appeal Council Working Group on Intellectual Property met eight times during the period of Irish and Dutch presidency only. The dates of the meetings were: 2 February, 19 February, 18 March, 27 May, 25 June, 10 September, 13 October and 11 November 2004. All the meetings took place in Brussels and were attended by officials from the Patent Office. Details of the regulations discussed at these meetings can be viewed on the Patent Office website at www.patent.gov.uk.

The Committee for the Implementation of the Multiannual Community Programme to Stimulate the Establishment of the Information Society in Europe met three times during the period of Irish and Dutch presidency only. The dates of the meetings were: 27 February, 26 March and 5 July 2004. All the meetings took place in Brussels and an Official from the UK's permanent representation attended the meetings on 26 March and 5 July, but there was no representation at 27 February 2004 meeting.

The Committee on Electronic Signatures did not meet during the course of the three presidencies.
 
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