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6 Mar 2006 : Column 1155W—continued
Lesotho
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of (a) exports to and (b) imports from Lesotho in each of the past 20 years at current prices. [56201]
Alan Johnson: Information on the UK's trade in goods with Lesotho from 1986 to 2005 is shown in the table below.
Note:
2005 figures are subject to revision.
Source:
Overseas Trade Statistics
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Lisbon Agenda
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what policies his Department has adopted to assist the United Kingdom's fulfilment of the Lisbon Agenda criteria. [56145]
Ian Pearson: The Government strongly support the renewed Lisbon focus on jobs and growth" as the best way to meet the challenges of globalisation and boost prosperity and living standards for all. The UK National Reform Programme details our policy response to these challenges. The Department of Trade and Industry is driving forward micro-economic reforms in areas such as competition, enterprise, science and innovation, skills and investment.
We expect the spring Council in March to emphasise the importance of implementation of national commitments to reform.
Miners' Compensation
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in respect of how many cases Browns Solicitors of Bradford have been refused full payment of their costs due to breach of regulation 4 of the conditional fee agreement regulations with regard to miners' hearing loss claims. [54840]
Malcolm Wicks: This information is not readily available. Miners' hearing loss claims are not schemed so solicitors' costs for each claim are dealt with on their own merits. Concerns relating to a breach of regulation 4 of the conditional fee regulations would be raised as part of the negotiations on the appropriate level of costs for any given claim.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many instances claimants have been informed of his Department's insurers' refusal to meet all solicitors' costs because of a breach of regulation 4 of the conditional fee agreement regulations. [54841]
Malcolm Wicks: Neither the Department nor its claims handlers would inform a claimant directly of a refusal to meet solicitors' costs in full unless contacted by the claimant. No tally of such contacts are kept. However, the onus to keep a claimant appraised of developments falls to the claimant's representatives.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) in how many ongoing cases his Department's insurers are disputing costs because of a possible breach of regulation four of the conditional fee agreement regulations; [54842]
(2) how many costs payments were refused for cases by solicitors for noise-induced hearing loss claims to his Department due to breach of section 4 (2)c of the Conditional Fee Agreement Regulations 2000 in 2005; and how many such refusals there have been in 2006; [55000]
(3) what the total value is of costs payments that have been refused for cases for noise-induced hearing loss claims to his Department due to breach of section 4 (2)c of the Conditional Fee Agreement Regulations 2000; [55001]
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(4) how many (a) costs payments and (b) costs payments for cases involving Beresfords solicitors for noise-induced hearing loss claims to his Department are being negotiated due to breach of section 4(2)c of the Conditional Fee Agreement Regulations 2000; [55007]
(5) what percentage of noise-induced hearing loss cases disputed due to breaches of rule 4(2)c of the Conditional Fee Agreement Regulations 2000 included a disbursement payment to (a) Vendside, (b) Beresfords solicitors, (c) Melex Ltd., (d) Dr. Yeoh, (e) NIG and (f) Composite Legal Expen when costs were negotiated. [55009]
Malcolm Wicks: This information is not readily available. Miners' hearing loss claims are not schemed so solicitors' costs for each claim are dealt with on their own merits. Concerns relating to a breach of regulation 4 of the conditional fee regulations would be raised as part of the negotiations on the appropriate level of costs for any given claim.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure that solicitors abide by Law Society adjudications on complaints from the Miners' Compensation Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [55041]
Malcolm Wicks: This is a matter for the Law Society and the Department has no enforcement powers. The Law Society has this week written to all solicitors involved in the coal health compensation schemes to urge any who have deducted money from claimants' compensation scheme to repay it. This scheme was set up to compensate sick miners and the families of the deceased and it is wholly unacceptable that any of this money should be taken as fees. The firms in question should now act on this and promptly.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much in solicitors' costs has been partially refused due to breach of regulation 4 of the conditional fee regulations for miners' hearing loss claims. [55298]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 2 March 2006]: This information is not readily available. Miners' hearing loss claims are not schemed so solicitors' costs for each claim are dealt with on their own merits. Concerns relating to a breach of regulation 4 of the conditional fee regulations would be raised as part of the negotiations on the appropriate level of costs for any given claim.
National Institute for Medical Research
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what (a) advice he has received about and (b) assessment he has made of the security implications of moving the National Institute for Medical Research from Mill Hill to Camden; and if he will make a statement; [55232]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of relocation of category four containment facilities from the National Institute for Medical Research to the proposed new site on Hampstead road, Camden; and if he will make a statement; [55236]
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(3) what the estimated cost is of the proposed relocation of the National Institute for Medical Research from Mill Hill to Camden; and if he will make a statement. [55237]
Barry Gardiner: The proposed move of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) is a matter for the Medical Research Council (MRC). My noble Friend Lord Sainsbury of Turville has been briefed by MRC's chief executive, Professor Colin Blakemore, on MRC's plans for moving the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). I have asked Professor Blakemore to write to the hon. Member.
Oil Imports
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of oil in the UK was imported from Venezuela in each of the last five years. [55496]
Malcolm Wicks: The quantity and percentage of crude oil imported from Venezuela between 2000 and 2004 is shown in the following table.
Source:
International Energy Agency; DTI Digest of UK Energy Statistics.
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