| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Zimbabwe
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will investigate claims that women deported from the UK to Zimbabwe have been attacked and sexually abused after returning to Zimbabwe. [90681]
Mr. McCartney: We take allegations of abuse in Zimbabwe extremely seriously. We have therefore put in place enhanced monitoring procedures, including an agreement with the International Organisation for Migration, to monitor the treatment of immigration offenders who have returned from the UK to Zimbabwe. In their 2 August determination, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal found that returnees are not at real risk of mistreatment on return to Zimbabwe by virtue of being returned from the UK. If the hon. Member has any new evidence of such attacks or abuse, we would be grateful if he could pass it to us.
We are concerned about the broader human rights situation in Zimbabwe and take this up with the Government of Zimbabwe, directly and together with our international partners.
Trade and Industry
Arms Trade
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives he is pursuing for improved control of (a) licensed production and (b) brokerage of arms for export; and if he will make a statement. [90938]
Margaret Hodge: The Government believe that the legislation implemented under the Export Control Act 2004, in respect of trafficking and brokering and licensed production, is efficient and effective. However, I am planning next year to review the export controls introduced in 2004. This will enable the Government to gauge their continuing effectiveness including in relation to licensed production and trafficking and brokering.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export licences to Israel were refused on the ground of (a) aggressive use, (b) contribution to regional conflict, (c) human rights abuses and (d) internal repression in each of the last 10 years; and if he will publish the information held by his Department on the use of UK military equipment by Israel in the occupied territories in that period. [91012]
Margaret Hodge: The Government publish details of refused export licence applications by destination, and the main reasons for its decisions, in its annual and quarterly reports on Strategic Export Controls. The Government’s annual reports are available from the Libraries of the House, and the quarterly reports from the DTI Export Control Organisation website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/europeantrade/strategic-export-control/index.html
The Department does not hold information on the use of UK military equipment abroad.
Auditing
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans the Government have to introduce more competition and choice into the UK audit market; [90647]
(2) what assessment the Government have made of the Joint Audit System of Company Auditing. [90648]
Margaret Hodge [holding answers 11 September 2006]: The Financial Reporting Council are leading a public debate on competition and choice in the provision of audit services following the publication in April of a report analysing this market. This report was jointly sponsored by the Council and the Department and the Government are following the current debate closely. That debate will inform future discussions about what actions or changes might be desirable in order to promote competition and choice in the market. The Financial Reporting Council have just published a summary of the debate so far.
It is possible under UK law to appoint joint auditors, and it is for companies to make that decision should they want to do so in the light of their needs and circumstances. I understand that the joint auditing approach has also been raised, in the responses received by the Financial Reporting Council, as one possible route to greater competition and choice in the audit market.
Citizens Advice Bureaux
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward proposals to fund Citizens Advice Bureaux directly. [90862]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 September 2006]: The Department does not fund Citizens Advice Bureaux and will not consider doing so in the future.
However, the Government recognise that the advice sector plays an import role, particularly in disadvantaged communities. All potential advice providers can bid for a share of any special time-limited grants for which DTI is responsible. For example some Citizens Advice Bureaux are included in the partnerships that gained grants awarded by my Department from the financial inclusion fund, over a two-year period, for providing face-to-face debt advice.
Cluster Munitions
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the UK plans to evaluate the operational failure rates of cluster munitions used by Israel that the UK also holds in stock. [90816]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 11 September 2006]: I have been asked to reply.
No decision has been taken on this yet. We need reliable statistics on Israel’s use of cluster munitions in Lebanon before we can make an informed assessment of operational failure rates.
Companies Bill
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations the Government have contacted in its latest consultation on the Companies Bill. [90646]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 September 2006]: The Department invites comment from organisations and individuals who have expressed an interest in being kept informed on matters relating to the Companies Bill, and also publishes material on its website (www.dti.gov.uk). Recently, this has included a paper on the application of the Bill to existing companies. DTI officials contacted over 170 organisations and over 120 private individuals to invite representations in writing and will be meeting with a wide range of organisations. A list of the organisations that were contacted has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Company Directors
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government plan to publish a non-statutory set of guidelines on the duties and responsibilities of company directors. [90649]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 September 2006]: The Government recognise that it is important that the law in relation to the duties and responsibilities of company directors is accessible and widely understood. It therefore intends to publish plain language guidance on the duties and responsibilities of directors as part of its implementation of the Companies Bill, including the general duties under part 10 of the Bill.
Consumer Protection
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the implementation of the directive on the powers available to consumer protection agencies. [90926]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI has held two public consultations on the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. The most recent, in December 2005, received 69 formal responses including responses from: consumer bodies, business and business organisations, trading standards departments, regulators, professional institutions and academics. A summary of these is on the Department’s website. The DTI also held a number of workshops before and during the consultation process with consumer groups, enforcers and business representatives. It has also held numerous public presentations. In addition, the Department recently received eight letters from Members of Parliament and another from a local government central body that advises and supports local authority regulatory services.
Implementation
of the directive is overseen by a project board including
representatives from the enforcement community. It is also informed by
a
stakeholder board consisting of representatives from business and
consumer groups and enforcement
authorities.
In light of comments received, the Government are still considering how best to implement the directive. Yet implementation offers an opportunity to enhance the powers available to enforcement authorities. Options include: retaining existing criminal offences and investigative powers; and extending these to the new protections contained in the directive. Such powers might also, for the first time, be made available to a national consumer protection body, the Office of Fair Trading. The Government will clarify its intentions when it publishes response to its consultation paper.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a corrected reply to the letter of 12 July 2006 from the hon. Member for Walsall North regarding a constituent, ref AE/587654. [90636]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 September 2006]: A corrected reply was sent on 22 August. I am sorry the wrong response was sent previously.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken towards making the operation of the Department carbon neutral. [90616]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 September 2006]: The DTI are committed to energy efficiency targets and reduction in carbon emissions as set out in the “Framework for Sustainable Development in Government”.
Over the past two years the Department has reduced its London HQ estate by over 30 per cent. with a corresponding reduction in all the associated environmental impacts. More efficient use has been made of existing accommodation and the Department has adopted flexible desking on the basis of eight workstations for every 10 staff.
Other carbon reduction initiatives include purchasing nearly a third of our electricity from renewable sources between 1999-2000 and 2004-05. We want to purchase more “green” electricity and are considering other renewable sources.
Eurofighter
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources in (a) time and (b) personnel were devoted to (i) assessing and (ii) facilitating the recent licence application for Eurofighter jets to be exported to Saudi Arabia. [90819]
Margaret Hodge: Export Licence applications are made to the Government in confidence and the information they contain is exempt from disclosure. For this reason the Government can neither confirm nor deny whether any such export licences have been received.
Given the complexity of the application assessment process, and the number of Departments involved, it would not in anyway be possible to calculate the staff time spent on any individual application. However, by way of general background, the Export Control Organisation currently has 73 staff responsible for processing export licence applications. In addition, staff in a number of other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and, where appropriate, the Department for International Development, are involved in the assessment process. The Government processed 9062 applications in 2005.
Export Control Act
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer on 4 May 2006, Official Report, column 1751W, on the Export Control Act, when he plans to produce and publish the terms of reference for the planned review; how many members of staff within the Export Control Organisation will be involved; which independent parties will be consulted; and what the planned (a) start and (b) end date is for the review. [90817]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 September 2006]: As indicated in my response to the hon. Member’s question of 4 May 2006, Official Report, column 1751W, it is my intention to start the review of the regulations introduced under the Export Control Act after they have been in force for three years i.e. from May 2007. I have yet to decide the details of the review. There will be a public consultation. The review will involve a range of staff from across the Export Control Organisation and its advisory departments, but it is not possible to say precisely how many.
Import Licences
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what import licences have been issued since 2003 for small arms and light weapons from (a) Serbia and Montenegro, (b) the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (c) Romania, (d) Ukraine, (e) Albania, (f) Bulgaria, (g) Croatia and (h) Kosovo to the UK; and what quantity of goods was allowed by each licence. [90780]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 September 2006]: Details of import licences issued from 1 January 2005 that would allow the import from (a) Serbia and Montenegro (SM), (b) the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MK), (c) Romania (RO), (d) Ukraine (UA), (e) Albania (AL), (f) Bulgaria (BG), (g) Croatia (HR) and (h) Kosovo (XK) of small arms and light weapons (as defined by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) are listed. Similar lists for 2003 and 2004 could be drawn up in the time available only at disproportionate costs.
The list is divided into those licences for which the applicant has provided a specific country of consignment and those licences where the applicant has simply stated that the goods are consigned from any country except a member state of the European Union. The code for the latter licences is “AY”.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |