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Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): Since her inauguration in 1997, President McAleese has visited the United Kingdom on 74 occasions. Forty-nine of these visits have been categorised as working or working/private visits. The remaining visits have been categorised as private visits. We understand that the President of Ireland has also carried out a number of other private visits, on which Her Majesty's Government do not keep records.
These visits have taken place at President McAleese's own instigation, by invitation of a third party or for personal reasons. During these visits, engagements have included visiting a number of schools and colleges in Northern Ireland; receiving an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham; attending the opening of the Long Tower Centre in Londonderry; opening the Research Institute for Irish/Scottish Studies in Aberdeen; a private lunch with HM The Queen; and Henley Royal Regatta.
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Symons: The Government will continue to keep Parliament informed. No decisions have been made on the timing or modalities of any referendum, other than because it could trigger primary legislation in the UK. HMG will expect to oversee the organisation and timing of any such referendum in consultation with the Government of Gibraltar.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to a Question from the noble Lord, Lord Blaker, in the House on 18 July (Official Report, column 1394).
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: I refer the nobel Lord to the Answer I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Fearn, today (HL5324).
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We have continued to make clear to the US that we consider their action to be in breach of their WTO obligations. A WTO dispute panel has now been established to consider the complaints of the EU and six other countries.
We continue actively to support UK companies in their efforts to secure product exclusions from the US measures and we continue to press the US Administration at the highest levels on this.
We have had some successes so far, but we want and expect more products to be excluded before the deadline for exclusions (now extended to 31 August) expires.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: It is not possible to say precisely how many jobs will be affected by the US import restrictions. The volume of UK exports directly affected by restrictions represents less than 2 per cent of the UK steel output. However, some smaller UK companies are more reliant on the US market and will therefore be more significantly affected by decisions on product exclusions. The indirect effects on UK steel producers are potentially more important but more uncertain. In particular, those arising from the possible deflection of exports from other EU member states, which would otherwise have been destined for the US market, are difficult to calculate.
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation does not normally comment on export licence applications, which are commercially confidential and exempt from disclosure under Part II, Exemption 13 and 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Details of all relevant export licences issued and refused since 2 May 1997 are published by destination in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are placed in the Libraries of the House. The 2001 annual report will be published soon.
All relevant export licence applications for Sudan are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, the EU arms embargo and the military end use control in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time and taking account of other relevant factors. I refer the noble Lord to the reply from my honourable friend the Member for Manchester Central (Tony Lloyd) to my honourable friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Andy King) in another place on 28 January 1998, Offical Report, col 273-74.
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The total costs paid to miners' solicitors for respiratory disease for the period 1 January 1998 to 14 July 2002 is £66 million.
For the period April 1999 to March 2002 the department spent £74.3 million externally in respect of administrative expenditure on all coal health claims. The areas of expenditure covered include: record collection and medical assessments; claims handling; the department's own legal costs and professional advice.
For the period January 1999 to March 2002 the department spent £2.6 million internally in respect of administrative expenditure on all coal health claims. A single figure for the Mineworkers Emphysema and Bronchitis Scheme is not readily available.
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: In February 2002, the department issued an expression of interest notice about the respiratory disease medical assessment contract. The invitation to tender was sent out to interested parties in April 2002. Following this re-tendering process, my honourable friend the Minister for Energy and Construction announced that on 2 July that SchlumbergerSema had been awarded the contract.
SchlumbergerSema will take over the contract from Healthcall on 1 November 2002.
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The contract for medical assessments in connection with miners' respiratory claims was put out to competitive tender and SchlumbergerSema put in the best bid.
SchlumbergerSema's current work in relation to its contract with the department for mineworkers' vibration white finger has no bearing upon its contract for respiratory claims. The VWF contract uses an entirely different team of doctors, technicians and managers.
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government have had guarantor responsibilities for the two British Coal pension schemes since the current guarantee arrangements were introduced in 1994. The establishment of the investment reserve and guarantors' sub-funds within the schemes at that time was in effect a cash injection of money the Government were otherwise entitled to withdraw. The Government continue to contribute to the schemes by leaving major sums, currently valued at around £4 billion, within those sub-funds.
The Government are committed under the guarantee to protect the payment of pensions valued at around £16 billion.
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