| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Lloyd's
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to initiate a review into the regulatory arrangements at Lloyd's of London in accordance with the terms of the recommendations of the Fourth Report of the Treasury Committee of Session 1995-96 (HC 224). [31902]
Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 27 February 1998]: On 21 January 1998, Official Report, columns 532-33, I announced proposals for the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to take statutory responsibility for the regulation of Lloyd's as part of the Government's wider reforms of financial services regulation. Our proposals would provide the FSA with extensive supervisory powers and powers of intervention in relation to Lloyd's. I do not therefore intend to initiate a review of the kind recommended by the Committee.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Ms Lawrence), of 21 January 1998, Official Report, columns 532-33, on Lloyd's, if he will list the powers in the Insurance Companies Act 1982 which he will use to extend the supervision of the FSA to Lloyd's; and whether (i) these powers and (ii) the proposed reserve power to directly authorise or supervise Lloyd's members will require changes to the Lloyd's Act 1982. [31570]
Mrs. Liddell: The Government propose to introduce new legislation which will give new powers to the Financial Services Authority for the effective regulation of financial services providers, including banks, building societies, investment businesses and insurers. Powers under the existing financial services legislation, including the Insurance Companies Act 1982, would then be repealed. It is not envisaged that the regulatory arrangements which I have proposed for Lloyd's would require amendment to the Lloyd's Acts 1871-1982.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to repeal the prohibition under the Financial Services Act 1986 on an individual, who is not an authorised person and is not in the business of giving investment advice, from publicly expressing a view on the likely impact of full membership of EMU on the value of UK index-linked Government stock. [31731]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 27 February 1998]: There is no such provision in the Financial Services Act 1986.
2 Mar 1998 : Column: 455
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) women from Northern Ireland who obtained legal abortion in England and Wales in 1996, (b) women from the Irish Republic who obtained legal abortion in England and Wales in 1996 and (c) women resident in England and Wales who obtained legal abortion in 1996 underwent the procedure in (i) the first nine weeks of pregnancy and (ii) the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. [31491]
Mrs. Liddell:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
| Gestation weeks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country of usual residence | Under 9 weeks | Under 12 weeks |
| Northern Ireland | 31 | 73 |
| Irish Republic | 37 | 73 |
| England and Wales | 40 | 81 |
Asbestosis
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the numbers of deaths resulting from asbestosis in the last 10 years; and what is his estimate of the probable totals in the next five years. [31779]
Mrs. Liddell: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given below.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 43 |
| 1988 | 35 |
| 1989 | 45 |
| 1990 | 57 |
| 1991 | 59 |
| 1992 | 52 |
| 1993 | 59 |
| 1994 | 59 |
| 1995 | 44 |
| 1996 | 68 |
Notes:
1. Deaths from asbestosis were identified as those certified with an underlying cause coded to ICD9* code 501.
* International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision
2. Data for the years 1987--1992 are by year of registration, data since 1993 are by year of occurrence.
2 Mar 1998 : Column: 456
Projected deaths from asbestosis are not available.
NUTS Review
Ms Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will propose that Staffordshire be classified as a single NUTS II area; and if he will make a statement. [31321]
Mrs. Liddell: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Ms Joan Walley, dated 2 March 1998.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary questions on proposing Staffordshire as a single NUTS-2 area and on the Government's position in the NUTS review currently underway and the timetable for the review.
After wide consultation throughout the UK, the Government Statistical Service submitted proposals for a revised NUTS structure to Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in July 1997. A copy of the proposals was deposited in the House of Commons library. Those proposals included the classification of Staffordshire as a single NUTS-2 area.
During negotiations, Eurostat have stressed that in their view the UK proposals contained too many NUTS-2 areas and that changes from the current structure were unjustified. Discussions are still continuing and an announcement will be made as soon as an agreement is reached.
The original intention was to reach agreement by December 1997 but this has not been possible due to the prolonged negotiations. It is hoped that an agreement will be reached as soon as possible.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Dietary Supplements
Mr. Tredinnick: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she was consulted by the Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about the United Kingdom response to the European Commission Consultation Document on Dietary Supplements; and if she will make it her policy to promote the removal of barriers to trade in such supplements (a) within Europe and (b) globally. [26355]
Mrs. Roche:
Responsibility for policy on dietary supplements sold under food law rests with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and the territorial Departments. As a matter of general policy, the Department seeks to ensure the removal of barriers to trade.
2 Mar 1998 : Column: 457
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what factors underlay the decision to grant Indonesia an ECGD guarantee for five years' credit on defence exports. [29158]
Mrs. Roche:
ECGD's role is to encourage UK capital goods and project exports by providing insurance against the risks of not being paid by overseas customers. Whether or not individual arms consignments are allowed to go overseas is a matter for the DTI's Export Licensing Unit. Any exports which need an export licence, but do not have one, are not eligible for ECGD cover.
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the average sulphur dioxide content per tonne of coal burnt in power stations for the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 1997; what quantity of coal was burnt; and if he will estimate the amount of (a) deep mined and (b) opencast mined coal that would have been burned in this period if the target for sulphur dioxide emissions had been 1.2 per cent. [30496]
Mr. Battle:
Coal use for electricity generation in the UK was 54.9 million tonnes in 1996 and 47.0 million tonnes in 1997. Power station emissions of sulphur dioxide in 1996 were 1,371,000 tonnes. 1997 figures for emissions are not yet available.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |