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23 Jan 2006 : Column 1760W—continued
Audible Fire Alarms
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the premises occupied by his Department is fitted with audible fire alarms. [42871]
Alan Johnson: All buildings on the DTI HQ estate are fitted with audible fire alarms.
Business Review
Jim Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies will be required to produce the proposed enhanced Business Review; how many would have been required to produce an Operating and Financial Review; whether all companies
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operating in the United Kingdom will have to produce such business reviews; and what enhancements to the proposed Business Review will be made. [42145]
Alun Michael: Under provisions introduced into the Companies Act 1985 by the Companies Act 1985 (Operating and Financial Review and Directors' Reportetc.) Regulations of March 2005, all GB quoted companies would have been required to produce an Operating and Financial Review. The associated Regulatory Impact Assessment put the number of quoted companies at 1,290.
Only GB registered companies will be required to produce a Directors' Report including a Business Review, under section 234ZZB of the Companies Act 1985, for financial years beginning on or after 1 April 2005. The Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the regulations which introduced the requirement indicated that 37,290 GB companies will have to publish a Directors' Report including a Business Review. This does not include companies which meet the statutory definition of a small company which will not have to include a Business Review.
As I indicated in my statement to the House before Christmas, the Government are currently inviting views on whether any particular requirements of the Business Review need to be further clarified; and on any other considerations which Ministers should take into account in deciding how to frame suitable amendments for the Company Law Reform Bill on these matters. The consultation closes on 15 February and therefore no decisions have been taken.
Cape Town Treaty
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the UK Government have to ratify the Cape Town treaty. [42028]
Alun Michael: The UK played an active role in negotiations on the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol at the 2001 Diplomatic Conference and is committed to its ratification though there are no immediate plans to do so.
It should be noted that the convention is one of a number of so-called mixed competence" Treaties where conclusion at EU level has been blocked due to disagreement between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar. Spain does not formally recognise Gibraltar competent authorities, because it does not recognise Gibraltar's 1969 constitution. In April 2000, a set of Postboxing Arrangements" was concluded, to facilitate communications between Gibraltar authorities and their counterparts elsewhere in the European Union by indirect contact through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. These arrangements were circulated to all member states and the institutions of the EU on 19 April 2000. They laid down how postboxing" would operate in relation both to EU instruments and to certain named international conventions. They would only apply to other treaties if both sides agreed. For its part, the UK has also made clear that it would need to obtain the consent of the Government of Gibraltar.
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Coal Reserves (Scotland)
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what licences have been granted for (a) the extraction of coal and (b) coal exploration in South Lanarkshire; and in what areas in each case. [44235]
Malcolm Wicks: Information on current Coal Authority licences in South Lanarkshire are as follows:
Other exploration and opencast licences/agreements have been issued by the Coal Authority in South Lanarkshire but these are now expired.
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the total coal reserves are in Scotland; [44236]
(2) what the total coal reserves are in South Lanarkshire; and in what areas they are situated; [44237]
(3) what the total coal reserves are in the Douglas and Nethan valleys; in what areas they are situated; and how many tonnes each area has. [44238]
Malcolm Wicks: There are no reliable estimates of total potential coal reserves in Scotland.
50.1 million tonnes of reserves suitable for surface mining are known at existing opencast mines and sites either with planning approval or at the planning application or pre-application stage. 13.3 million tonnes of these reserves are situated in South Lanarkshire. Information is not available concerning such reserves in the Douglas and Nethan valleys.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North sent to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 2 November and transferred to his Department on 11 November was not transferred to the Department for Transport until 6 December; and if he will make a statement. [37867]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 15 December 2005]: This letter was held up in the transfer administration process. I apologise to my hon. Friend and to his constituent for the delay.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will reply to the letter dated 26 October from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan on Exports to China. [38549]
Alan Johnson
[holding answer 20 December 2005]: My hon. Friend, the Minister for Trade, replied to this letter on 9 January. The reason for the delay in responding is explained in his letter.
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Departmental Buildings/Equipment
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to ensure that the buildings and electrical equipment used by his Department are energy efficient. [42562]
Alan Johnson: DTI is working toward achieving the energy efficiency targets expressed in the framework for sustainable development, Part E—Energy. The targets set are to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings on the estate by 15 per cent. in terms of KWH usage and that used per square metre by 2010–11.
The DTI London HQ estate is being reduced by approximately 30 per cent. as the result of a major rationalisation programme to make more efficient use of our accommodation with significant associated reductions in the Department's overall energy usage.
The Department has implemented a number of energy efficiency initiatives since the target was published. The main strategy is to gain efficiencies as a result of the estate strategy to reduce the physical size of the estate and the number of buildings. We have also included a number of energy efficiency projects in our main buildings to improve lighting and environmental controls as well as occupant awareness.
Departmental Publications
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost was of the literature produced for his Department's Corporate Responsibility conference on 1 and 2 December 2005; and what percentage of paper used in this literature was recycled. [42381]
Alan Johnson: The total cost for the literature produced for the Corporate Responsibility conference on 1 and 2 December 2005 was £2,001. In addition to this we purchased 400 recycled A4 presidency writing pads from the FCO for £360.
It is the Department's policy to produce all publications on recycled paper containing a minimum of 75 per cent. post consumer waste.
EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what new infrastructure will be put in place to help producers of electrical and electronic equipment to comply with recycling obligations under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive and the Restrictions on Hazardous Substances Directive; [41859]
(2) how many waste electronic and electrical collection facilities for domestic users the Government plans to set up in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) 2008; where these will be based; and whether doorstep collections will be arranged if there is no collection facility nearby; [41861]
(3) how the planned (a) domestic and (b) industrial collection facilities will be financed when the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is implemented; and by whom. [41862]
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Malcolm Wicks: On 14 December 2005, I announced a review of proposals for implementing the WEEE Directive. This will lead to a full consultation exercise in the spring. At this stage of the process, I am unable to assess what new infrastructure will be required. Officials in the Department are working closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the most pragmatic and practical way forward. There are no recycling obligations under the Restrictions on Hazardous Substances Directive.
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he proposes to implement the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in the United Kingdom. [42179]
Malcolm Wicks: On 14 December 2005, I announced a review of proposals for implementing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in the UK. A new timetable for implementation will not be set until the review is concluded.
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the reason is for the postponement in implementing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in the United Kingdom announced by his Department on 15 December 2005. [42180]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government is committed to implementing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive in the UK in a way which maximises the environmental benefits associated with the directive and minimises the costs to business. The implementation of the directive has been delayed in order to take full account of concerns expressed by businesses and other stakeholders.
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impactof the delay in the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive on business. [42296]
Malcolm Wicks: The delay in the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in the UK has been welcomed by business. It will give the Government time to ensure that the costs to business are minimised once the directive has been fully implemented.
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when full implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is expected to take place. [42297]
Malcolm Wicks: On 14 December 2005, I announced a review of proposals for implementing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in the UK. A new timetable for implementation will not be set until the review is concluded.
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what costs will be incurred by the Government as a result of the delayed implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. [42298]
Malcolm Wicks:
The delay to the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive will have significant implications for local
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authorities. The Department has agreed to meet any new costs in relation to the delay. We will consult local authority representatives about these amounts.
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many man-hours have been spent on each (a) review of and (b) consultation on implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and how much each such (i)review and (ii) consultation has cost. [42300]
Malcolm Wicks: This question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate cost to the Department.
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