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CityFlyer Express--BA Merger
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings he has held with CityFlyer Express to discuss the proposed merger with British Airways. [85221]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no meetings with CityFlyer Express.
BNFL (Millennium Compliance)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on BNFL's progress in becoming year 2000 compliant. [85216]
Mr. Battle:
The nuclear industry is judged to have Action 2000 "blue" status, meaning that the assessment has not identified any risk of material disruption.
26 May 1999 : Column: 202
The Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) is the body responsible for regulating the safety of civil nuclear installations. NII has been active in dealing with the year 2000 issue since 1997 and has directed all nuclear licensees, under a licence condition, to provide safety cases a minimum of six weeks in advance of critical dates. NII will allow continued operation of nuclear plant over the critical dates only if it is satisfied that the operation is safe.
NII is also carrying out a programme of inspection and assessment of licensees' work in this area as it proceeds. To date, all the licensees, including BNFL, are making satisfactory progress in their programmes of work and this assists NII's confidence that the safety cases will be adequate. Should they not be, NII will use its enforcement powers to see that effective improvements are made or, the plant taken out of operation.
Mr. Andy King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what legal rights tenants in sheltered accommodation have to have access to their individual fuel meters in cases where meters are centralised in a locked location. [85116]
Mr. Battle:
Regulations made under The Gas Act provide gas customers with a statutory right of access to their meters. The Electricity does not provide the basis for such a right for electricity customers. The Government has made clear:
Dr. Tony Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will collect data on accident and injury figures with respect to inflatable bouncing devices. [85503]
Dr. Howells:
Data on accidents with respect to inflatable bouncing devices are collected under the DTI's Home Accident Surveillance System. This records information on home and leisure accidents resulting in patients attending Accident and Emergency Departments at a representative sample of hospitals throughout the country. The most recent data for these devices are:
its intention to legislate, when Parliamentary time permits, to reform the way in which the public utilities are regulated
that the regulatory process should be driven by the need to put the interests of customers first.
The aim is to bring the regulatory regimes for gas and electricity together where it is sensible to do so.
| National Estimate | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Home | Leisure |
| Bouncing castles | 2,326 | 5,519 |
| Other inflatable equipment | 99 | 690 |
BNFL (KPMG Reports)
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what means and for what reason reports of the findings by KPMG setting out on the future structure and ownership of BNFL made their way into the public domain before Parliament was informed of them. [85145]
26 May 1999 : Column: 203
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 25 May 1999]: I cannot comment on speculative references in the press about the KPMG report. An announcement will be made in due course.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those purposes for which his Department and its executive agencies require a birth certificate to be furnished by (a) employees, (b) contractors, (c) those applying for employment or contracts and (d) other persons. [85317]
Mr. Byers:
In DTI and some of its agencies a birth certificate is one of a variety of documents which applicants for jobs may choose to offer as proof of identity and of age, for pension services, prior to or at recruitment. It is a mandatory requirement in the Radiocommunications Agency, the Patent Office and the National Weights and Measures Laboratory. In the event of the death of a Departmental employee in service, his or her children's full birth certificates are required in order to verify dates of birth for dependants' benefits under the relevant pensions arrangements. Contractors are responsible for establishing proof of the identity of their employees. Birth certificates are not required routinely for any other Departmental purposes; however, they can be offered by claimants under the Enemy Property Compensation Scheme to help establish the validity of such claims in particular lines of inheritance; and they may, in very limited circumstances, be demanded under a number of statutory powers of investigation, for example under Section 434 of the Companies Act 1985.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with UK retailers concerning their sourcing policies for clothing and textiles; and if he will make a statement. [85330]
Mr. Battle:
Sourcing decisions are, of course, for retailers themselves to take, based upon their own commercial judgment. However, my Department is involved in a number of initiatives designed to promote the competitiveness of UK textiles and clothing manufacturers, as well as the efficiency of the UK supply chain. For instance, in February this year I was pleased to announce that the DTI would be providing the secretariat for the Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group, a joint industry--union initiative to consider how best to ensure the sustainable development of the UK's textile and clothing industry. The retail sector is represented on that Group.
In addition, the DTI is a co-sponsor of the "Apparel and Textiles Challenge", a joint initiative with retailers and manufacturers to improve relationships in, and management of, the clothing and textile supply chain.
26 May 1999 : Column: 204
Developments such as E-Commerce, internet and mail order selling, demand ever shorter delivery times and necessitate a quick response service from manufacturers which UK suppliers are well placed to meet.
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 29 March 1999, Official Report, column 493, on special advisers, if he will give the total travel cost of each occasion when (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2 May 1997 and the place visited. [82416]
Mr. Byers:
For the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999, Special Advisers in my Department have travelled overseas in an official capacity on 12 occasions. The total cost of travel and any hotel accommodation is:
| Country | Total cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | ||
| 25-28 May | Japan | 6,184.00 |
| 10-11 September | Washington DC | 5,088.50 |
| 13 October | Brussels | 301.50 |
| 12-13 November | Brussels | 390.90 |
| 15-22 November | India and Australia | 7,142.68 |
| 1998 | ||
| 11-18 January | China, Hong Kong | 4,421.70 |
| 3-4 February | Paris | 381.00 |
| 11 March | Strasbourg | 542.80 |
| 6-7 May | Brussels | 295.00 |
| 18-20 May | Geneva | 598.67 |
| 18-20 June | Singapore | 5,898.30 |
| 10-16 October | USA | 7,024.44 |
All travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Law
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will announce the membership and terms of reference of the working group he has appointed to report on how insolvency and bankruptcy law can be made more enterprise-friendly. [69847]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 8 February 1999]: This work was undertaken by government officials and focused on:
The extend to which insolvency and bankruptcy laws place undue obstacles in the way of entrepreneurs who have failed but want to try again.
The extent to which the law reinforces the stigma attached to business failure and thereby inhibits enterprise.
The extent to which it is or would be possible to distinguish between responsible risk-takers and others.
Officials reported to Ministers at the end of April and that report is under consideration.