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Departmental Tendering Policy

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is on including (a) ethical and (b) environmental factors in tenders for services. [33341]

Alan Johnson: Guidance on the inclusion of environmental issues in procurement is contained in the Department's Procurement Manual. We also follow OGC guidance on Fair and Ethical Trading.
 
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All new contracts for services to support the DTI operational estate include appropriate clauses covering ethical and environmental clauses as part of the DTI's ISO 14001 certification. Such requirements are routinely included as part of any tender evaluation proposals. Firms tendering for such services are also referred to the Framework for Sustainable Development in Government (SDIG) website and must explain as part of their tender submission how they meet SDIG requirements.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support has been
 
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made available through the Export Credits Guarantee Department for (a) fossil fuel power plants, (b) nuclear plants, (c) renewable energy generation schemes and (d) carbon capture and storage sequestration technology schemes in each year since 1997. [38852]

Ian Pearson [holding answer 20 December 2005]: The following table details the financial support made available by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) for power plants in the fossil fuel, nuclear, renewable energy and carbon capture and sequestration technology sectors, since 1997:

ECGD has provided no financial support for power plants in these sectors since 2002.
£ million

Fuel type /Market	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	Total
Fossil
Abu Dhabi	—	8	—	—	—	8
Anguilla	—	1	—	—	—	1
Bangladesh	—	—	—	7	—	7
Brazil	—	16	—	—	—	16
China	32	291	1	—	—	323
Cyprus	—	5	—	—	—	5
Dominican Republic	—	—	—	23	—	23
Egypt	—	—	6	—	—	6
Hong Kong	73	—	—	1	—	74
India	—	20	89	48	—	157
Indonesia	39	—	—	—	—	39
Israel	—	—	—	—	11	11
Malaysia	—	—	770	—	—	770
Mexico	—	—	3	77	—	80
Oman	—	—	10	25	—	35
Philippines	—	—	72	—	—	72
Saint Kitts and Nevis	—	8	—	—	—	8
Taiwan	—	—	128	18	—	146
Turkey	—	22	—	34	—	56
Vietnam	—	—	24	—	—	24
Zimbabwe	9	—	—	—	—	9
Nuclear
China	—	58	—	—	—	58
Renewable
Thailand	6	—	—	—	—	6
Carbon Capture and storage sequestration Technology	—	—	—	—	—	0
Total	159	428	1,103	233	11	1,933

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the location of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights will be. [38814]

Meg Munn: A decision has been taken to locate main sites of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights in Manchester and London with the majority of staff in Manchester and a significant presence in London. There will also be offices in Glasgow and Cardiff. We want the Commission to be a powerful and authoritative champion of equality and human rights across Great Britain.

This decision followed a comprehensive independent study to assess a number of options. An equality impact assessment and a race equality impact assessment were also carried out on the location options identified in the study. Further work will now be undertaken to determine the operational functions to be located at the sites.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings of the (a) Committee for the implementation of the multinannual Community action plan on promoting the safe use of the internet, (b) Standing Committee for the harmonisation of national legislation relating to recreational craft and (c) Standing Committee for the approximation of the laws of member states relating to lifts have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement. [39000]

 
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Alun Michael: The information requested is as follows:

(a) The Committee for the implementation of the multi-annual Community action plan on promoting the safe use of the internet did not meet during the UK presidency.

(b) It is my understanding that the hon. Member is referring to the Standing Committee set up under Article 6 of Directive 94/25/EC (as amended) on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of member states relating to recreational craft. The Standing Committee met in Brussels on 20 December 2005. The meeting was chaired by the European Commission and two officials from the Department of Trade and Industry represented the United Kingdom. No provisions were made for representation of the devolved governments, as this is not a devolved issue.

(c) The mandate of the lifts Standing Committee is contained in Article 6.3 of the Lifts Directive 95/16/EC. The committee did not meet during the UK presidency.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings of the (a) Committee on general authorisations and individual licences in the field of telecommunications services, (b) EC-India RTD Cooperation Steering Committee and (c) Coordinating Committee on Fusion Energy EC-USA have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement. [39006]

Ian Pearson: None of the aforementioned committees met during the UK presidency of the EU.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings of the (a) Textile Committee (conventional regime), (b) Advisory Committee on medical devices and (c) Advisory Committee for the transparency of measures governing the pricing of medicinal products for human use have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provisions were made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement. [39040]

Ian Pearson: The information requested is as follows:
 
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(a) This committee is not known by the name given. This committee is known as the Textiles Management Committee and met four times during the UK presidency. This is a Commission-chaired committee and an official from the Department of Trade and Industry represented the UK. No provisions were made for representations from devolved governments.

(b) and (c) are a matter for the Department for Health.

EU Trade

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Tradeand Industry what steps the Government have taken in its capacity as holder of the EU presidency to negotiate EU trade policy at the World Trade Organisation. [35605]

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement to the House made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 20 December 2005.

Heating Sources

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the merits of using heat generated from the hot road sub-surface of new roads to provide heating in houses and commercial and industrial buildings. [35840]

Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.

The Highways Agency commenced a two-year trial in September 2005 to investigate the feasibility of using the solar energy absorbed by a road surface both as a renewable energy source to heat buildings nearby and as an alternative winter maintenance option to using salt for de-icing.

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