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21. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of British Steel to discuss the future of steel production in the United Kingdom.
47. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Steel to discuss the future of Ravenscraig.
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48. Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Steel to discuss the future of Ravenscraig.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend's predecessor met the chairman of British Steel on 5 June. He has no plans at present for a further meeting.
84. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of British Steel to discuss the future of steel production in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend's predecessor met the chairman of British Steel on 5 June. He has no plans at present for a further meeting.
110. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of British Steel to discuss the future of steel production in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend's predecessor met the chairman of British Steel on 5 June. He has no plans at present for a further meeting.
128. Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has met the chairman of the British Steel Corporation to discuss the future of the steel industry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend's predecessor last met the chairman of British Steel on 5 June.
Business Grants, West Midlands
22. Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give details of his Department's grants to businesses in the west midlands to date in the current year.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Up to the end of June, my Department had made payments of grant to businesses in the west midlands of £15.84 million, mainly in the form of regional selective assistance, support to research and development and assisted consultancy under the enterprise initiative.
CBI
23. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet the president of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss manufacturing industry.
28. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the Confederation of British Industry to discuss levels of economic growth.
95. Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the Confederation of British Industry to discuss levels of manufacturing investment.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Ministers and officials of my Department keep in touch with the CBI on a wide range of business matters.
45. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to meet the secretary
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general of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss the expansion of British exports ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Redwood : Ministers and officials of my Department keep in touch with the CBI on a range of issues relevant to business.
Girobank
24. Mr. Galloway : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on the sale of Girobank to the Alliance and Leicester Building Society.
115. Mr. Bidwell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on the sale of Girobank to the Alliance and Leicester Building Society.
Mr. Forth : I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 2 July at column 427.
Environmentally Friendly Goods
25. Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take action to prevent firms misrepresenting goods as environmentally friendly.
87. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take action to prevent firms misrepresenting goods as environmentally friendly.
Mr. Forth : On 9 January in response to a question on environmental labelling, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment said that we would be looking at the possibility of a code of practice on environmental claims and of amending the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. My Department went to consultation on 10 January inviting the views of consultees on the most appropriate measures which might be taken to control environmental claims.
The representations received during the consultations are still under consideration.
Unsafe Garden Equipment
26. Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider measures to protect consumers from unsafe garden tools and machinery.
37. Mr. Geoffrey Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider measures to protect consumers from unsafe garden tools and machinery.
Mr. Forth : The existing Consumer Protection Act 1987 already provides a general duty on suppliers to ensure that products, including garden tools and machinery, are safe. Where these products are electrically powered, they would also be subject to the Low Voltage Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1989 which implement the EC Low Voltage Directive, covering the basic safety requirements of electrical equipment traded throughout the European Community. In addition, the EC Machinery Safety Directive, which provides more detailed requirements on the guarding and safety of all mechanised equipment, will be implemented into United Kingdom legislation by the end of 1991, coming into force on 31 December 1992.
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Timeshare
27. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what policy changes he intends to make as a result of the Office of Fair Trading report on timeshare.
Mr. Forth : The Director General of Fair Trading's report on timeshare was published on 3 July. I shall be looking very carefully at his recommendations for legislation.
Eastern Europe
29. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives he is taking to encourage trade with eastern Europe.
64. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any new proposals to develop trade between the United Kingdom and the countries of eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union.
71. Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any new proposals to develop trade between the United Kingdom and the countries of eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union.
96. Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to encourage exports to east European countries ; whether he plans any increase in his Department's activity in this sphere ; and if he will make a statement.
124. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any new proposals to develop trade between the United Kingdom and the countries of eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union.
Mr. Redwood : My Department is taking active measures to develop commercial opportunities in east Europe through direct contact with east European trade authorities, data dissemination and publicity. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's predecessor last week headed a trade mission to Czechoslovakia and then travelled on to Hungary for top level meetings. In recent months, I and DTI Ministerial colleagues have led parties of businessmen to these countries as well as to the USSR, Poland, Romania and the GDR. We have also received several incoming delegations and been in close touch with the FCO about the use of their know-how fund for eastern Europe.
Public Houses
30. Mr. Leadbitter : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the total number of public houses in the United Kingdom of each of the six major brewing companies.
51. Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the total number of public houses in the United Kingdom of each of the six major brewing companies.
63. Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the total number of public houses in the United Kingdom of each of the six major brewing companies.
93. Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the total number of public houses in the United Kingdom of each of the six major brewing companies.
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Mr. Redwood : At the end of 1988, according to the MMC, the figures were :
|Number
---------------------------------------------------
Allied Breweries Limited |6,678
Bass plc |7,190
Courage Limited |5,002
Grant Metropolitan plc |6,419
Scottish and Newcastle Breweries plc |2,287
Whitbread and Company plc |6,483
Under the Supply of Beer Orders by November 1992 brewers owning more than 2,000 pubs must release from ties at least 50 per cent. of those in excess of 2,000. The Director General of Fair Trading will be monitoring progress towards this requirement.
66. Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations he has received from (a) tenants of national brewers, (b) small independent brewers and (c) others since 1 May regarding the operation of the new system giving tenants greater freedom to buy products outside the tie ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : Since 1 May I have received three representations on behalf of tenants of national brewers, one letter on behalf of small independent brewers, and five letters from others, of which four were from or on behalf of a large brewer.
Office of Fair Trading
31. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the investigations currently being conducted by the Office of Fair Trading.
34. Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the investigations currently being conducted by the Office of Fair Trading.
130. Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the investigations currently being conducted by the Office of Fair Trading.
Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde (Mr. Graham) on 10 July at column 138.
Kingfisher/Dixon Takeover Report
32. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much compensation he estimates his Department paying in the wake of the early release of the Kingfisher/Dixon takeover report.
35. Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much compensation he estimates his Department paying in the wake of the early release of the Kingfisher/Dixon takeover report.
Mr. Redwood : I will continue to consider claims received before the end of this month for losses incurred on the morning of 23 May by those buying Dixons shares, selling Kingfisher shares or dealing in traded options. I will then be able to estimate more accurately the cost. Payments will be on the basis of one half of the differences between the price at which the shares or options were bought or sold on Wednesday morning 23 May, and the
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prices ruling when trading was resumed shortly after 1 pm. I will take into account corresponding gains from selling Dixons shares or buying Kingfisher shares, or from hedging positions in the options market.European Single Market
33. Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the proportion of total European single market trade which will be British-originated in 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : Given the changes which will follow the completion of the single European market, I cannot make a useful estimate of the proportion of total single European market trade which will be British- originated in 1992. The United Kingdom's share of EC trade was 8.9 per cent. in 1973, the year of our accession. It has risen to 13.1 per cent. in 1983 and stood at 11.4 per cent. in 1988. These figures assume current membership of the EC at each date.
Footwear and Textile Industries
36. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on the current state of the footwear and textile industries.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Both industries continue to experience mixed fortunes with varying performance in different product areas. I am pleased to note, however, that exports of footwear reached record levels in volume terms in the 12 months to March 1990, with exports of 25 million pairs of footwear, an increase of over 10 per cent. in volume and 12 per cent. in value terms. Exports of textiles and clothing products also rose by 14 per cent. by volume and 18 per cent. by value between the first quarters of 1989 and 1990.
55. Mr. Lambie : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet his European counterparts to discuss the textile industry.
61. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet his European counterparts to discuss the textile industry.
69. Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet his European counterparts to discuss the textile industry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to meet his EC colleagues on several occasions during the course of this year to discuss progress in the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations, which cover the future of trade in textiles and clothing.
108. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current state of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade textiles talks on the future of the multi- fibre arrangement.
Mr. Redwood : The chairman of the GATT negotiating group on textiles and clothing has produced a chairman's report for consideration by the trade negotiations committee in Geneva next week. This is designed to take into account various negotiating positions and therefore contains a significant number of alternative options. Many of these differences of view are unlikely to be resolved until
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nearer the end of the negotiations in December, but the European Community will continue to press for a progressive phaseout of the MFA over a transitional period and on the basis of strengthened GATT rules and disciplines.112. Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the level of imports of footwear from the far east.
Mr. Redwood : Figures for the first four months of the year show an increase of 5 per cent. in imports of footwear from the far east compared with the same period in 1989. The footwear industry, as my hon. Friend is aware, has been seeking action by the European Community to restrict imports from Korea and Taiwan. In regulation 1735/90 published on 27 June the European Commission introduced prior surveillance of most footwear imports from these sources. The Regulation also refers to undertakings by Korea and Taiwan to limit their exports to traditional trade flows within specified quantitative limits. The licensing system will provide early warning of the level of imports.
142. Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure that no unilateral concessions will be made by the European Economic Community without agreement by the other countries on strengthening of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade rules and disciplines in relation to the multi-fibre arrangement ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The European Community, with United Kingdom support, is continuing to press strongly for the liberalisation of trade in textiles to be accompanied by the strengthening of GATT rules and disciplines and the opening of producer markets. The Community will need to take a view before the end of the Round on the acceptability of the likely final package. In the meantime the Community needs to play an active part in shaping the framework agreement on trade in textiles and the Government will work to ensure that any proposals put forward properly reflect United Kingdom and Community interests.
Mr. Lee : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received from the textile and clothing industries about barriers to United Kingdom exports ; if he will pursue the reduction of such barriers in the Uruguay round negotiations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : Ministers in my Department frequently receive representations from the textile industry about foreign barriers to United Kingdom exports, both directly and through hon. Members. It is one of the EC's main aims in the Uruguay round to achieve a reduction by all parties in their tariff and non-tariff barriers and we are pursuing this vigorously in the negotiations.
Mr. Lee : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet his counterparts from other European Community countries to discuss trade in textiles and clothing ; if he will take steps to ensure that integration of this trade into the normal rules of the general agreement on tariffs and trade takes place only on the basis of strengthened rules and disciplines ; and if he will press for a transition period for such integration
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sufficiently long to demonstrate the effectiveness of these strengthened rules and disciplines in removing distorted conditions of trade.Mr. Redwood : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to meet his EC colleagues on several occasions during this year to discuss progress in the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations. The EC, while committed to returning trade in textiles and clothing to GATT rules, is continuing with United Kingdom support to press strongly for this liberalisation to be accompanied by the strengthening of GATT rules and disciplines. The idea of a transitional period for returning textiles trade to GATT is accepted in the negotiations. Its length has yet to be determined and in any discussions the United Kingdom will have regard to the arrangements for strengthening rules and disciplines as well as the need to ensure that the benefits of liberalisation are not unduly delayed.
Electronic Equipment
38. Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received in the past three months about the export of electronic equipment.
127. Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received in the past three months about the export of electronic equipment.
Mr. Redwood : My officials have had frequent contact with Trade Associations and companies in the electronic equipment sector during the past three months and a number of representations have been received. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on individual licensing matters.
123. Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of electronic equipment sold in the United Kingdom comes from overseas.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr. McWilliam) earlier today.
Trading Standards Officers
39. Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met representatives of trading standards officers to discuss consumer matters.
44. Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met representatives of trading standards officers to discuss consumer matters.
68. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met representatives of trading standards officers to discuss consumer matters.
Mr. Forth : I met representatives of local authority trading standards officers on three occasions in 1989 to discuss consumer matters and my officials have frequent meetings with trading standards officers.
90. Mr. Ted Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from trading standards officers on the safety of retail goods.
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Mr. Forth : In the course of discussions and correspondence with trading standards officers, I have received representations on a wide range of subjects relating to product safety.Manufacturing Industry
40. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to set up a body to oversee manufacturing industry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I have no plans to set up a body to oversee manufacturing industry.
Credit Union Movement
41. Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department has taken to encourage the growth of the credit union movement in inner city areas ; and if he will make a statement.
76. Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department has taken to encourage the growth of the credit union movement in inner city areas ; and if he will make a statement.
137. Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department has taken to encourage the growth of the credit union movement in inner city areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My Department has not taken any action to support credit unions in the inner cities.
National Enterprise Board
42. Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the National Enterprise Board cost in (a) 1975, (b) 1979 and (c) 1989 ; and whether he will make a statement about its future.
94. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the National Enterprise Board cost in (a) 1975, (b) 1979 and (c) 1989 ; and whether he will make a statement about its future.
135. Mr. Watts : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the National Enterprise Board cost in (a) 1975, (b) 1979 and (c) 1989 ; and whether he will make a statement about its future.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The National Enterprise Board was formed in late 1975 and there are therefore no figures for this year. In 1979 the net cost to the Exchequer was £222.4 million made up of £253.8 million of public dividend capital, subsequently repaid, repayment of loans and interest totalling £30.6 million and £0.8 million of taxes paid. In 1989 the Board remitted £1.3 million in taxes and £2 million in dividends to Her Majesty's Government.
Since 1981 the board has, with the National Research Development Corporation, operated as the British Technology Group. The Government consider that it would be appropriate for the British Technology Group to be transferred to the private sector when suitable arrangements can be made.
Independent Financial Advisers
43. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received about the draft European community rules on capital adequacy of independent financial advisers.
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Mr. Redwood : I have received a number of representations from organisations and firms in the independent financial intermediaries sector about capital adequacy requirements, including the Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Regulatory Association, the British Insurance and Investment Brokers Association, the Insurance Brokers Registration Council, the Life Insurance Association, and IFA Promotion Ltd. These representations have been helpful in clarifying their members' concerns that the proposed EC Capital Adequacy Directive may impose inappropriate minimum capital requirements. I share this concern. The United Kingdom will continue to press for capital requirements to be related to risk, and for levels of initial capital that do not act as barriers to market entry.
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