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2 May 2006 : Column 1365W—continued
Departmental Websites
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) the websites operated by his Department and (b) the reports placed on the internet in March 2006, indicating in each case whether paper copies were also made available. [65210]
Alan Johnson: We operate one core DTI website, www.dti.gov.uk, and within that there are links to a wider community of websites managed by partner agencies and other arms-length bodies. There are 42 DTI websites hosted by other domains and a list of these has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
There were 67 departmental publications notified to the Publications Team and placed on the DTI website in March 2006; of these 21 were made available as paper copies.
A list has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
EU Commissioner for External Trade
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the EU Commissioner for External Trade; how many times in the last 12 months he has met him; when he next expects to meet him; and if he will make a statement. [64676]
Ian Pearson:
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has met Peter Mandelson, the European Trade Commissioner, on several occasions over the last 12
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months, to discuss current trade policy issues, including ways to secure an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the Doha Development Agenda.
EU Committees
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the UK members of the (a) EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy committee, (b) Article 133 committee and (c) Customs Union committee. [66409]
Ian Pearson: The UK member of the EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy committee is Eugene MacAleese, of the Europe and World Trade Directorate's Trade Defence Unit.
For information on UK membership of the Article 133 committee I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 93W.
Attendance at the Customs Union committee is the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs.
EU Directives/Regulations
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2006 to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key), Official Report, column 640W, on EU directives/regulations, if he will seek an exemption from the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive for lead used in the pipes of pipe organs which rely on electricity to operate. [63828]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department of Trade and Industry has sought clarification from the European Commission as to whether pipe organs fall under the scope of the directive. If the Commission concludes that they do, the Department stands ready to work with the industry to build a suitable exemption request.
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made in the context of regulations under the EU Restrictions of Hazardous Substances Directive of the environmental effects of the use of lead in organ pipes; what estimate he has made of the proportion of such pipes which (a) are disposed of by landfill and (b) are recycled by organ builders; and what estimate he has made of the value to the economy of the pipe organ industry. [63829]
Malcolm Wicks: No estimates have been undertaken in relation to the pipe organ industry.
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he has received from the pipe organ industry following his Department's offer of assistance with a formal application under article 5.1b for the exemption of new pipe organs from the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive. [64861]
Malcolm Wicks: The UK pipe organ industry has yet to submit a formal exemption application. We stand ready to help them if they choose to do so.
Robert Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will establish a review of the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment directive in respect of
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the use of lead in (a) the maintenance, restoration and upgrading of existing pipe organs and (b) the construction and building of new pipe organs; [65164]
(2) whether the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment directive will be reviewed in 2008 in respect of its application to traditional pipe organs. [65165]
Malcolm Wicks: The waste electrical and electronic equipment directive is due to be reviewed by the European Commission in 2008. The Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive draws its scope from the WEEE directive.
The Department of Trade and Industry has sought clarification from the European Commission as to whether pipe organs fall under the scope of the directives. If the Commission concludes that they do, the Department stands ready to work with the industry to build a suitable exemption request.
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many (a) public officials and (b) contractors will be employed on the enforcement of the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment directive in respect of (i) existing and (ii) new-build traditional pipe organs from 1 July 2006; [65166]
(2) what enforcement machinery is (a) in place and (b) in preparation in respect of the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment directive as it applies to (i) existing and (ii) new build traditional pipe organs from 1 July 2006 [65167]
Malcolm Wicks: The UK has not yet transposed the WEEE directive into national law, whilst the UK Restriction of Hazardous Substances Regulations come into force on 1 July 2006 and will be enforced by the National Weights & Measures Laboratory.
Existing pipe organs are not covered by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive and the Department of Trade and Industry has sought clarification from the European Commission as to whether new pipe organs fall under the scope of the directives. If the Commission concludes that they do, the Department stands ready to work with the industry to build a suitable exemption request.
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what research his Department and its agencies are funding into alternative materials to lead in the construction and maintenance of traditional pipe organs; [65168]
(2) if he will commission research into the use of alternative materials to lead in the construction and maintenance of traditional pipe organs and the building of new pipe organs. [65169]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department has no plans to commission research into alternative materials to lead in the construction and maintenance of traditional pipe organs.
David Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 1139W, to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on lead organ pipes, what progress has been made in assisting the organ building and repair industry to apply to the European Commission for a
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total exemption for the manufacture of new pipe organs from the provisions of the restriction of hazardous substances directive. [65397]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department of Trade and Industry has sought clarification from the European Commission as to whether pipe organs fall under the scope of the directive. If the Commission concludes that they do, the Department stands ready to work with the industry to build a suitable exemption request.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the (a) banks and (b) companies which have been involved in Export Credits Guarantee Department supported projects since 2000, stating in each case the project concerned. [64054]
Ian Pearson: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since 2000, ECGD's Annual Review and Resource Accounts have listed guarantees issued in each financial year.
Financial Advice Initiatives
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives his Department and its non-departmental bodies support to promote (a) financial education, (b) financial advice, (c) financial inclusion and (d) financial capability; which organisations are involved in delivering each initiative; and how much funding is provided to each by (i) his Department and its non-departmental public bodies, (ii) other Government departments, (iii) the private sector and (iv) the voluntary sector. [66577]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department recognises the importance of tackling financial exclusion in the areas mentioned and provides support to the following:
The DTI provides Elm p.a. to this free telephone advice line. This is alongside £500,000 in 2005–06 increasing to £800,000 in 2006–07 from the DCA, and £100,000 per annum from the Scottish Executive. The private sector has pledged £1.7 million p.a. to fund National Debtline.
The Small Business Service contributes £100,000 per annum to Business Debtline with the private sector contributing £180,000 per annum. Business Debtline is now under the same roof as National Debtline and is benefiting from shared infrastructure and economies of scale. Both services are run by the Money Advice Trust.
Face-to-Face Debt Advice Project
The DTI is running this project, to increase substantially debt advice, with £45 million from the Treasury's Financial Inclusion Fund over the two Financial Years 2006–08. There are 14 projects being delivered by a mixture of Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx) and other independent advice agencies.
Last year the DTI provided approximately £3.9 million funding for the NCC, including the Scottish and Welsh Consumer Councils. The NCC has a particular remit to represent disadvantaged consumers which runs through
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all their work. In addition, one of their corporate objectives is to make markets work for vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers. Within the current work stream the NCC has three projects relating specifically to financial inclusion—improvements to basic bank accounts; increasing choice and appropriateness in payment methods for essential services; and extending access to affordable credit. The NCC also keeps a watching brief on issues such as financial capability, financial education and financial advice.
Citizens Advice/Citizens Advice Scotland
Last year the DTI provided approximately £26 million but funding this year is still to be settled. This grant in aid is provided by DTI on behalf of the whole of Government (around 15 Departments). These are both independent charities providing HQ support services for the network of locally funded CABx.
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