31 Oct 1996 : Column: 181
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 31 October 1996
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Incitement to Racial Hatred
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Attorney-General how many people have been prosecuted in each of the last five years for incitement to racial hatred. [61]
The Attorney-General: For the years 1992 to 1996, I have granted consent to the institution of proceedings for incitement to racial hatred against the following number of defendants:
1992: 3
1993: 2
1994: 2
1995: 7
1996: 4 (to date)
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Dual Support Transfer
Sir John Hannam: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what conclusion has been reached on the review of the dual support transfer. [2111]
Mr. Ian Taylor: Following extensive consultations, the Government have decided that, to address the evident concerns of the effect of the dual support transfer on research infrastructure, the contribution to indirect costs in research council grants should be increased from 40 to 45 per cent. of approved staff costs for all grant payments on new and existing grants from 1 April 1997.
Additionally, the research councils and funding councils have been asked to identify and implement further measures by next April to ensure that the transfer achieves its original intentions. In particular, it is important that those making research grant applications include all eligible direct costs, and that the research councils meet these wherever possible.
In announcing these measures, I should like to acknowledge the considerable assistance provided by all concerned. As those consulted plainly recognise, the difficult issues raised by the review require a finely balanced judgment to be made. From the consultation, it was clear that the major concern was with departmental infrastructure associated with grant-funded research projects, and hence the Government hope that universities will deploy the increase in the indirect costs contribution to support such infrastructure.
31 Oct 1996 : Column: 182
I have asked the Government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Robert May, to keep under review these new arrangements and the health of the higher education research base through the Science and Engineering Base Co-ordinating Committee, which he chairs.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many manufacturing jobs with foreign-owned companies operating in the United Kingdom have been lost in the past 12 months. [315]
Mr. Greg Knight:
My Department does not collect such information on a systematic basis.
Ms Walley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what account he has taken of the size of the chambers of commerce and industry when setting criteria of eligibility in respect of outward trade missions; [41]
(3) what assessment he has made of the implications of the first stage announcement in respect of DTI-supported outward trade missions for north Staffordshire; and if he will make a statement. [42]
Mr. Nelson:
The size of the organisation seeking support is but one factor in determining its suitability to run a mission supported by the Department. Other criteria which a chamber of commerce, trade association, business link or similar organisation must fulfil is that it is based in the United Kingdom; represents a substantial proportion of the companies in its industry and/or area, and is of good standing; it must have adequate staff and financial resources to recruit and organise an effective group promotion overseas; and show an active and continuing role in export promotion activities.
All proposals for support are considered on their merits, with account taken of various factors including, for example, the case made for support; how well the proposal meets priorities identified in the country market plan; sponsor's past record. I need also to balance demand against the budget available.
I am confident that the implications of the recent announcement of the 1997-98 stage 1 mission programme for north Staffordshire and indeed the whole of the west midlands are good. In addition to the three offers to the north Staffordshire chamber, 24 offers have been made to other chambers in the region. As participation is not restricted by membership or geographical location, north Staffordshire-based companies can apply to join any of these missions. They may also apply to join all the others which comprise the existing programme.
Trade missions are an important promotional tool. Some 151 missions were supported in 1993-94; 149 in 1994-95 and 210 in 1995-96. Support has been offered for 281 to take place in 1996-97, and a further 230 under stage 1 of the 1997-98 programme. Subject to the availability of additional funding, further offers will be announced in the new year.
31 Oct 1996 : Column: 183
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received in respect of the proposal of the Office of Fair Trading to abolish resale price maintenance on certain medicines; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement. [482]
Mr. John M. Taylor
[holding answer 28 October 1996]: The Director General of Fair Trading announced on 18 October that he was seeking leave of the restrictive practices court to apply for a discharge of its 1970 order in respect of resale price maintenance on certain medicines. If leave is given, it will be for the court to decide whether the 1970 order remains in the public interest. The director general is content to receive further information relevant to the preparation of the application for leave. The Secretary of State has no statutory role or discretion in relation to the director general's application nor in relation to the court's consideration of the case. In the period between the announcement and the 29 October 1996, he has received one representation on this matter, which has been passed to the director general.
Ms Ruddock:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when was the last occasion that a field inspection of an offshore oil or gas installation was undertaken by a Government official in order to confirm the composition of produced water; and if he will list the number of occasions that such inspections have been undertaken in each of the last eight years; [511]
Mr. Page
[holding answers 30 October 1996]: The last occasion that a field inspection of an offshore oil and gas installation was undertaken by a Government official in order to confirm the composition of produced water was on the 25 of October 1996.
As the hon. Member was advised earlier this year on 3 July, Official Report, column 457, inspections of offshore installations have been undertaken by the Department of Trade and Industry in each of the last eight years, although figures are not available, apart from at disproportionate cost due to the relocation of the office responsible to Aberdeen and the subsequent archiving of files.
Ms Ruddock:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the total volumes of unrecovered oil-based drilling muds and of water-based drilling muds that were discharged from offshore oil and gas installations on the UK continental shelf in each of the last eight years. [513]
Mr. Page
[holding answer 30 October 1996]: The total volumes of unrecovered oil-based drilling muds discharged offshore oil and gas installations on the United Kingdom continental shelf for the last eight years are routinely recorded in the "Energy Report", which is published annually and is available in the Library of the House.
31 Oct 1996 : Column: 184
There is no statutory record of total water-based drilling mud discharged.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many environmental inspections have been carried out in respect of North sea oil rigs in each year since 1980; and how many inspectors carried out this work in each of those years. [1016]
Mr. Page
[holding answer 29 October 1996]: Numerous inspections of offshore installations have been undertaken by my inspector in each of the last 16 years, although figures are not available apart from at disproportionate cost due to the relocation of the office responsible to Aberdeen and the subsequent archiving of files. I refer the hon. Member to my reply given earlier this year to the hon. Member for Lewisham and Deptford (Ms Ruddock) on 3 July, Official Report, column 457.
There were two inspectors until the end of 1989, but, until 1992, 10 safety inspectors also carried out environmental checks. From 1992 to 1994, there was only one inspector but other staff visiting offshore installations carried out environmental checks. The Department now has six inspectors.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much oil was discharged in (a) the United Kingdom sector and (b) the Norwegian sector of the North sea in each year since 1980; and what the figures were for each United Kingdom offshore installation in each of these years. [1017]
Mr. Page
[holding answer 29 October 1996]: The total amount of oil discharged from United Kingdom offshore installations is published annually in the "Energy Report". Copies of this are available in the Library of the House.
Available figures for discharges of oil (in tonnes) in the Norwegian sector are given below:
(2) if he will give for each of the last four years and for 1997-98 details of the awards given to outward trade missions; [40]
(2) when was the last occasion that a field inspection of an offshore oil or gas installation was undertaken by a Government official in order to confirm the composition of contamination on drill cuttings; and if he will list the number of occasions that such inspections have been undertaken in each of the last eight years. [512]
The provision of discharge information on an installation basis for the last 16 years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
1981: 591
1982: 1,534
1983: 1,770
1984: 3,900
1985: 3,490
1986: 2,378
1987: 1,768
1988: 2,339
1989: 1,604
1990: 1,585.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |