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Retail Petrol Industry
Mr. Boswell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many retail petrol stations closed in (a) 1996 and (b) 1997 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and what data she has collated about forecast closures in 1998. [31699]
Mr. Battle [holding answer 2 March 1998]: The figures are as follows:
| Year | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,222 | 151 | 60 | 87 |
| 1997 | 434 | 105 | 88 | 128 |
It is too soon to say what closures there may be in 1998.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many retail petrol stations there were in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995 and (iii) 1996. [31698]
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Mr. Battle
[holding answer 2 March 1998]: The data are not available for 1990. The figures for 1995 and 1996 are as follows:
| Year | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 12,772 | 1,544 | 891 | 769 |
| 1996 | 11,550 | 1,393 | 921 | 682 |
Car Parking
Mr. Baker: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has (a) to reduce the number of car parking spaces available for use by staff and (b) to introduce charges for staff using workplace car parking spaces. [32466]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 3 March 1998]: In line with the Guide to Green Transport Plans circulated last September by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, my Department is actively considering this issue in preparing Green Transport Plans for its key buildings.
Self-employment
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to tighten the definition of self-employed to avoid workers being unfairly described as working for themselves. [32123]
Mr. Ian McCartney [holding answer 4 March 1998]: My Department has been reviewing its policy on employment status issues as they affect the coverage of the employment rights legislation and I will be giving this matter further consideration.
Public Appointments
Mrs. Lait: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many of the appointments to public bodies which she has made since 1 May 1997 have been from the Public Appointments Unit list. [33251]
Mrs. Beckett: My Department consults a wide range of sources in considering candidates for appointments to public bodies, including the PAU Database. Of the appointments made since 1 May 1997, 11 were identified from the PAU list.
Oil and Gas Industry
Dr. Gibson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for statutory regulation of the offshore oil and gas industry's discharges. [32650]
Mr. Battle [holding answer 5 March 1998]: Operational discharges of oil are currently regulated under the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971.
The United Kingdom has agreed to implement, in conjunction with other contracting parties to the Oslo and Paris Conventions, a harmonised Mandatory Control System for the use and reduction of the discharge of offshore chemicals. The system is currently in a trial period and will be reviewed and, if necessary, revised in 1999.
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Dr. Gibson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current voluntary Offshore Chemicals Notification Scheme. [32389]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 5 March 1998]: The current voluntary Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme has been very successful. Over 2,600 products are categorised and listed. The rating system used in the scheme is easily understood and has promoted the use of lower hazard chemicals by the offshore industry.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if she will make a statement on the implications for Norweb customers of the Utility Regulator's review; [33969]
(3) if she will make a statement on whether the Utility Regulator's Review will benefit electricity consumers who experience power failure for prolonged periods of time. [33970]
Mrs. Beckett:
The review of utility regulation has not yet been completed. Until that time, it would be wrong of me to speculate on issues which fall under its remit. I would, however, encourage my hon. Friend to participate fully in the consultation process which will follow publication of the review's findings.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will introduce legislation to regulate redundancy payments in the utilities. [33967]
Mrs. Beckett:
The utilities are subject to the provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996 with regard to redundancy payments. I laid an Order on 18 February to increase the weekly earnings limit. I have no other plans to amend this legislation.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the powers of the utility regulators to intervene in the closure of maintenance facilities. [33966]
Mrs. Beckett:
The electricity and gas regulators have duties to exercise their statutory functions in a manner best calculated to protect the interests of consumers in respect of continuity of supply. Where appropriate, electricity and gas licences contain conditions relating to continuity of supply. If the regulators consider that these conditions are not being satisfied, they have the necessary powers to enforce them.
Dr. Moonie:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she will announce her decision on the public inquiry into the electricity interconnector from Scotland to England. [33643]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 10 March 1998]: There is no outstanding public inquiry on the Anglo-Scottish interconnector. The only overhead line public inquiry reports that my Department is currently considering are the 1992 and 1995 public inquiries into reinforcement of
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the English transmission system in Cleveland and North Yorkshire and a 1997 public inquiry into an overhead line at Mardy, Abergavenny. The situation on the 1992 and 1995 public inquiries is as recorded in my right hon. Friend's reply to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) on 16 February 1998, Official Report, column 510.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if a Minister from her Department will visit the Adlington employment scheme in Lancashire. [34116]
Mrs. Beckett:
I have no immediate plans to visit the North West. I was, however, pleased to hear that the Adlington Employment Centre has been offered £1 million grant from the European Programme.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will estimate the impact of a 30 million tonnes a year coal industry on (a) sulphur and (b) carbon dioxide reduction targets. [34091]
Mrs. Beckett
[holding answer 12 March 1998]: The future role for coal in electricity generation is being studied in the review of Energy Sources for Power Generation. Environmental impacts are among the factors being taken into consideration.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of gas-fired power stations; and if she will make a statement. [34351]
Mr. Battle:
This is a matter which is being considered in my Department's Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when representatives from the Police, HM Customs & Excise and the National Weights and Measures Laboratory and Ministers from her Department last met to discuss the issue of tobacco imported from Belgium and illegally resold in the United Kingdom. [34703]
Mrs. Beckett:
There have been no such meetings.
These are policy matters on which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor leads.
Mr. Canavan:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to announce her decision about the Office of Fair Trading report on Strathclyde Buses and Midland Bluebird. [34590]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) on 2 March 1998, Official Report, column 460.
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(2) if she will make a statement on the new powers that will be given to regulators as a result of the Utility Regulator's Review; [33971]
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