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16 Apr 2007 : Column 164W—continued
Type 22 Frigates
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has made a feasibility study of (a) replacing and (b) updating the intelligence gathering capabilities provided by the four Batch 3 Type 22 frigates. [128583]
Mr. Ingram: We continue to consider how communication electronic support measures on Royal Navy warships should be sustained under project SHAMAN. Options under consideration in the Assessment Phase include upgrade to, as well as replacement of, existing equipment.
Warships: Gulf
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the most recent decision was taken to deploy additional Royal Navy vessels to the Gulf. [126229]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 12 March 2007]: The Royal Navy is mandated to provide two frigates or destroyers and one auxiliary oil tanker to the Gulf and wider region.
This requirement is kept under regular review, and force levels are adjusted as required. Additional RN units have been deployed to the Gulf and the wider
region at various stages over the last six months, as a result of these reviews. Currently these additional units consist of two mine countermeasure vessels, one landing ship logistics, one auxiliary fleet support (with two airborne surveillance and area control Sea Kings embarked) and three Merlin Helicopters based at Seeb, Oman.
Additionally, the Royal Navy training team have been deployed since 2003, tasked with training Iraqi forces until further notice.
World War II: Bombs
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of unexploded devices from World War II remaining in (a) Wales and (b) Pembrokeshire; and what assessment he has made of the risks posed to members of the public. [127443]
Derek Twigg: Numerous reports of unexploded bombs (UXB) were investigated during and shortly after WWII; in most cases the UXB were located and cleared by military bomb disposal teams. There were, however, instances where a device could not be found. In these instances, it was concluded the UXB had either travelled underground to a depth and position where it could not be reached, it had broken up on impact, leaving only fragments, or the report was mistaken and no UXB existed. It was decided that such UXB sites did not represent an immediate danger to the public, and they were added to the Abandoned Bomb Register. These sites would only be further investigated if new evidence arose or a device was unearthed. There are 26 possible UXB sites on the Abandoned Bomb Register for Wales; none of these is in Pembrokeshire.
Trade and Industry
Alternative Energy
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date in January 2007 the payments ceiling for grant allocations for domestic renewable energy installations for that month was reached. [121045]
Margaret Hodge: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.
Since the cap was introduced in December 2006, householders have been able to apply for a share of the £0.5 million pot that has been made available on a monthly basis. In January 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 12 January 2007.
It is important to note that in the 2007 Budget, it was announced that a further £6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than £18 million.
Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.
Animal Experiments: Cosmetics
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to extend the ban on the use of animal experimentation for the development of cosmetics to include the marketing of products produced abroad after animal experimentation. [130710]
Mr. McCartney: The Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/2152) implement the 7th amendment to the EU Council directive on the safety of cosmetic products.
Among other things the 7th amendment introduces a ban on the testing of finished cosmetic products and their ingredients by 2005.
It also introduces a two-stage marketing ban. Until 2009 the ban is operative only if an alternative to an animal test exists. From 2009 (with an exception until 2013 for three tests) the ban becomes fully operative irrespective of whether alternatives have been developed and irrespective of where in the world the product is manufactured.
Anti-dumping: EC Action
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many anti-dumping investigations the EU carried out in each year since 1977; and how many investigations are in progress. [122226]
Mr. McCartney: According to the European Commission, on 31 January 2007, there were 82 anti-dumping investigations in progress comprising review investigations and new investigations. Details of all cases investigated by the European Commission each year since 1996 are available in annual reports made to the European Parliament. These may be accessed through the following link to the European Commission’s website:
In addition a list, updated weekly, of all cases investigated or under investigation since 1996 is available through the following web link:
According to the Commission, details of all cases investigated prior to 1996 can be found in a book entitled “Anti-Dumping and Other Trade Protection Laws of the EC” (fourth edition) published by Brussels law firm Van Bael and Bellis.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what anti-dumping duties were applied by the EU in each year since 1977; to which countries they were applied; what duties are being applied; and to which countries they are being applied. [122227]
Mr. McCartney: Details of all cases investigated by the European Commission each year since 1996, including the rates of anti-dumping duty imposed and the countries to which the duty applies, are available in annual reports made to the European Parliament. These may be accessed through the following link to the European Commission's website:
In addition a list, updated weekly, of all cases investigated or under investigation since 1996 is available through the following web link:
According to the Commission, details of all cases investigated prior to 1996 can be found in a book entitled “Anti-Dumping and Other Trade Protection Laws of the EC” (fourth edition) published by Brussels law firm Van Bael and Bellis.
Competition Commission
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government are legally bound to enact a recommendation made by the Competition Commission. [128863]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 20 March 2007]: For most of the cases it considers, the Competition Commission does not need to make recommendations to the Government. It will simply use its statutory powers to make decisions and enforce necessary remedies.
It is possible that in the course of its work, the Competition Commission may make recommendations to Government where cases raise issues affecting Government policy or the law. There is no statutory provision requiring the Government to implement any such recommendations, though the Government may be expected to give due regard to such recommendations.
In cases where the Secretary of State uses his powers under the Enterprise Act 2002 to intervene on grounds of public interest and this results in a case being referred to the Competition Commission, the Enterprise Act provides that the Secretary of State must accept the Competition Commission’s decisions on the competition issues raised by the case. In addition, in deciding whether or not to make an adverse public interest finding, he will have regard to the Competition Commission’s conclusions on the public interest issues.
Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many successful prosecutions there were of companies in breach of the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988 in each of the last five years; and in each case what breach took place. [130627]
Mr. McCartney:
Information regarding prosecutions and breaches of the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988 can be found on the
Consumer Regulations website, provided by the Office of Fair Trading, at www.crw.gov.uk This records five cases since 2003, all of which were dealt with through undertakings by the companies and relevant individuals rather than by prosecutions.
Departments: Pressure Groups
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date was of each such meeting. [131038]
Mr. Darling: Ministers meet many outside interest groups and attend many functions relating to Government business, and as part of the process of policy development. To provide the detailed information requested would incur disproportionate cost.
Departments: Redundancy
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in his Department participated in (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [131437]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of employees who have left the Department under exit schemes is shown in the following table:
| Voluntary | Involuntary | |
Figures prior to 1998-99 are not available.
The Department will always try to deal with staff surpluses by means other than redundancy. If redundancies become unavoidable, the Department will endeavour to reduce staff by voluntary rather than involuntary means wherever possible. The Department is currently restructuring and is administering a voluntary exit scheme to deal with emerging surpluses. The full extent of voluntary and involuntary exits is not yet available.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in his Department who participated in (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement. [131559]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of staff who received payments in the requested bands were as follows:
| £ | |||||
| 0-25,000 | 25,001-50,000 | 50,001-75,000 | 75,001-100,000 | 100,000+ | |
Payments include pension lump sums as well as compensation awards. The information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department will always try to deal with staff surpluses by means other than redundancy. If redundancies become unavoidable, the Department will endeavour to reduce staff by voluntary rather than involuntary means wherever possible. The Department is currently restructuring and is administering a voluntary exit scheme to deal with emerging surpluses. The full extent of voluntary and involuntary exit costs is not yet available.
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