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Nuclear Inspectorate

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of fines levied by the Nuclear Inspectorate on polluters in preventing (a) further
 
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incidences of pollution by the polluters and (b) incidences of pollution from others who have not previously polluted; what changes are planned; and if he will make a statement. [27793]

Malcolm Wicks: Incidents at nuclear sites giving rise to environmental pollution are generally investigated by the Environment Agency (England and Wales) or SEPA (Scotland), though joint investigations with the Nuclear Installation Inspectorate are carried out if the circumstances demand it. Prosecution cases relating to environmental pollution incidents are usually taken by the appropriate environment agency.

In cases of environmental pollution there are no statutory limits on the level of fines that a Crown court can impose. However, fines are only one of the adverse impacts of prosecution that serve as deterrents to potential offenders. The Environment Agency publicises cases where companies have received heavy fines in its annual Spotlight on Business Performance" publication to ensure the message is received by others.

The Environmental Audit Committee considered the issue of fines and sentencing practice in 2004 and recommended that fines should be raised for environmental crimes. (House of Commons, Environmental Audit Committee: Environmental Crime and the Courts. Sixth Report of Session 2003–04). The Environment Agency has indicated that it is in broad agreement with this recommendation.

Oil Stocks

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there is a difference between the levels of compulsory strategic oil stocks required to be held by companies refining in the UK and those that import; and what discussions have taken place regarding theretaining of a differential under plans to simplify UK compulsory strategic oil stockholding arrangements. [31776]

Malcolm Wicks: The UK meets its international obligations to hold stocks of oil for use in the event of disruption of supplies by imposing obligations on commercial companies. These obligations are currently based on companies' deliveries into final consumption, and we impose a heavier obligation on oil company refiners than on other companies.

Under our proposed new system, where the obligations will be based on products from refineries or entering the UK as imports, our aim is to establish a system which is fair to all parties, transparent and simple to administer. My Department issued a public consultation on the future of the UK oil stocking system in December 2003 and has since then had a series of discussions of this and other issues with interested business sectors.

Pakistan

Mr. Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government will encourage the European Union to suspend anti-dumping duties imposed on the export of bed linen from Pakistan. [27470]

 
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Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is contacting the member states of the European Union and Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, seeking support for the suspension of anti-dumping duties on exports of bed linen from Pakistan.

Mr. Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Tradeand Industry if the Government will urge the European Union to include Pakistan in its Generalised System of Preferences Plus scheme, following the earthquake. [27472]

Ian Pearson: The UK is fully committed to doing what we can to help Pakistan recover from the impact that the earthquake has had on its industry. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to EU Heads of State to encourage them to consider trade measures which could assist Pakistan following the earthquake. These trade measures include the Generalised System of Preferences Plus scheme, among others.

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking during the UK presidency of the EU (a) to extend to Pakistan the benefits of inclusion in its generalised system of preferences plus scheme and (b) to suspend anti-dumping duties imposed on the export of bed linen from Pakistan to the EU. [30457]

Ian Pearson [holding answer 21 November 2005]: The UK is fully committed to doing what we can to help Pakistan recover from the impact that the earthquake has had on its industry. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to EU Heads of State to encourage them to consider trade measures which could assist Pakistan following the earthquake. These trade measures include the generalised system of preferences plus scheme and suspension of anti-dumping duties imposed on the export of bed linen from Pakistan.

Mr. Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1352W if he will use the EU presidency to press for Pakistan to be included in the Generalised System of Preferences scheme. [30780]

Ian Pearson: The UK is fully committed to doing what it can to help Pakistan recover from the impact of the recent earthquake. To this end, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to all other EU Heads of Government to encourage them to consider supporting aid and trade measures which could assist in this.

Post Offices

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding the Government plan to continue to allocate to facilitate the operation of post offices after 2008. [29965]

Barry Gardiner [holding answer 21 November 2005]: The Government have made it clear that it will make informed decisions about the longer-term future of the rural post office network in light of the Post Office Ltd. Report into their trials of new and innovative means of delivering postal services to rural communities. The report is due to be delivered to Government by the end of this year. This will be considered alongside analysis of the network currently being conducted.
 
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Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the cost of the deposit of bond needed to open a new post office. [28266]

Barry Gardiner [holding answer 14 November 2005]: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked, the chief executive of POL, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.

Postcodes

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of (a) the number of errors and (b) the number of properties not identified in the Postcode Address File (i) in 2005 and (ii)in the 2001 Census. [30115]

Barry Gardiner: The management of the Postcode Address File (PAF) is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.

I understand from the Office for National Statistics that the PAF was not used directly as the basis for the enumeration of the 2001 Census. The enumeration planning was conducted using the August 1998 version of the AddressPoint, which is an Ordnance Survey product that uses the PAF.

Power Stations

Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans to extend the operational life cycles of current UK based (a) oil, (b) gas, (c) coal and (d) nuclear power stations. [30900]

Malcolm Wicks: This is a commercial decision for the owners of those power stations. It falls to them to seek the necessary permissions for such extensions.

Protection of Trading Interests Act

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged and (ii) convicted in England and Wales of offences under sections (A) 1 and (B) 2 of the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 in each year since 1984. [28268]

Ian Pearson: No persons, either male or female, have been either arrested or convicted under any Article of the UK's Protection of Trading Interests Act since its introduction in 1980, and subsequent revision in 1996.

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