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31 Oct 2005 : Column 703W—continued
European Contractors
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the contractors based in other EU member states that are providing services to his Department. [15451]
Ian Pearson: The Department awarded contracts to the following companies based in other EU member states during calendar year 2004.
Information on other years is available only at disproportionate cost.
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Export Credits Guarantee Department
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what amount he is budgeting to cover possible liability for costs (a) for his Department and (b) for those for whom his Department has agreed to pay all or any part of their costs in relation to the action for judicial review brought against his Department by Corner House in respect of Export Credit Guarantee Department forms. [20789]
Ian Pearson: As at 30 September 2005, the estimate for the costs of ECGD's external solicitors, costs consultants and counsel in relation to the action for judicial review brought by the Corner House was £70,850, exclusive of VAT. ECGD has not yet reached agreement with the Corner House as to its costs claim, although cost assessment proceedings are continuing. ECGD is thus not in a position to provide a current budget for possible liability for costs in this matter.
Export Licences (Saudi Arabia)
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list recent export licence applications in respect of arms sales to Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement. [22019]
Malcolm Wicks:
Export licence applications are made to the Government in confidence and the information they contain is therefore exempt from disclosure. The
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Government publishes detailed information on its export licensing decisions, by destination, in its Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. The Government's Annual Reports are available from the Libraries of the House, and our Quarterly Reports, from the DTI Export Control Organisation website, www.dti.gov.uk/export.control.
Fire Gas Desulphuration Equipment
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department's methodology for allocating carbon allowances for phase II of the EU emissions trading scheme treats new-build Fire Gas Desulphuration (FGD) equipment on the same basis as other FGD equipment already installed. [21821]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 26 October 2005]: The Government are still considering the approach to Phase II of the Emissions Trading Scheme, including the treatment of installations with Flue Gas Desulphurisation equipment and the provision of free allowances for new entrants. No decisions have yet been made.
Firearms
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many dealer-to-dealer licences have been issued to registered firearms dealers since 6 December 1996. [20694]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government issued three dealer to dealer (Dealer) Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) to registered firearms dealers between 6 December and 31 December 1996. Information on the number of Dealer OIELs issued for the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2003 is available from the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Information for the period 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2005 is available from the Government's Quarterly Reports. The Government's Annual Reports are available from the Libraries of the House, and our Quarterly Reports, from the DTI Export Control Organisation website, www.dti.gov.uk/export.control.
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households there were in each Government office region in each of the last five years; and how many of these were living in fuel poverty in each year. [20716]
Malcolm Wicks:
Figures for the number of households in fuel poverty in England are produced from analysis of the English House Condition Survey. From 2003, the survey is being carried out on a continuous rolling basis. Prior to 2001, however, this survey was conducted on a five-yearly basis. Hence, the number of households in fuel poverty in each Government office region is not available for all of the last five years. The figures for 2001 and 2003 are available, as detailed in the following table.
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Notes:
1. All statistics in the tables are sourced from the English House Condition Surveys in 2001 and 2003, and therefore the number of households by region will differ slightly from official ODPM estimates.
2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
Gas Imports
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of gas imported to the UK he estimates will come from Norway in (a) 2010, (b) 2015 and (c) 2020. [19727]
Malcolm Wicks: The current UK gas market arrangements are already delivering a number of gas import projects potentially delivering gas from such diverse sources as Norway, the Netherlands, Russia, Algeria, Qatar and other Liquefied Natural Gas exporter countries. By 2010, direct pipelines from Norway might have an import capacity of around 25 per cent. of the current UK peak gas demand. The proportion of future gas imports to the UK from Norway, and any plans to construct further pipeline connections, from Norway or elsewhere, will be matters for market participants to decide subject to necessary regulatory consents.
Gershon Review
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made, in terms of (a) headcount reductions and (b) cost savings, in achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review. [21297]
Alan Johnson: Progress was reported in Budget 2005 and in DTI's 2005 departmental report (Cm 6536). Specifically, the Budget report highlighted that the Department had achieved early delivery against its headcount reduction target, losing 560 posts by the end of 2004–05. The 2005 departmental report contains details of DTI's new ways of working resulting from its efficiency programme and plans for achievement of savings in 2005–06, and reported the early achievement of our target for 85 relocations by 2007–08.
Further progress will be reported in the autumn performance report (due to be published in December) and at aggregate level in the pre-Budget report.
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Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who in the Department has been made responsible for achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review. [21317]
Alan Johnson:
As Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, I am responsible for the overall delivery of the Department's efficiency programme.
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