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19 Mar 2003 : Column 766W—continued
Auditing
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to require auditors to owe a duty of care to individuals who are shareholders at the date of the audit report. [100916]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Company Law Review carefully considered the arguments for and against extending by statute those to whom a company's auditors owe a duty of care. The Final Report concluded, in the light of responses to consultation, that the case for statutory extension had not been made out and that negligence law in this field was best left to the normal process of case law. The Government is considering this recommendation as part of the wider issue of auditor liability.
Computer Contracts (Iraq)
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export regulations apply to the computer and computer maintenance contracts between ICL/Fujitsu and the Government of Iraq; when approvals have been given; and if she will make a statement. [102870]
Nigel Griffiths: The export of computers, and goods required for their maintenance, from the UK to Iraq is controlled under the provisions of the Export of Goods (Control) (Iraq and Kuwait Sanctions) Order 1990. In addition, a UK company might require an individual licence to communicate, before entering into a contract to supply goods or services to Iraq, if the business they wished to discuss was not covered by the provisions of the Open General Licence to Communicate dated 19 November 1998.
The details of export licence applications from particular companies are normally commercially confidential and exempt from disclosure under exemptions 13 and 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, details of export licence applications from ICL, to export computer systems to Iraq prior to the imposition of UN sanctions in August 1990, were published in the 1996 Report of the Inquiry into the Export of Defence Equipment and Dual-Use Goods to Iraq and Related Prosecutions. A copy of the 1996 Scott Report is available from the Libraries of the House.
We have not been able to identify any export licence application from ICL or Fujitsu, to supply computers or related equipment to Iraq, since 2 May 1997.
Correspondence
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Minister for e-Commerce and Competitiveness will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Wrexham of 27 November. [104003]
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Mr. Timms: The reply was sent on 13 December 2002.
Disabled People
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help is given to disabled people collecting benefits from post offices. [103558]
Mr. Timms: Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act at any specific post office location is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. in respect of Crown offices and the individual sub-postmaster in respect of sub-post offices. I have been informed by Post Office Ltd. that sub-postmasters have been provided with packs enabling them to audit their own offices for Disability Discrimination Act compliance and that advice will be provided by POL throughout the process.
Energy White Paper
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her Answer of 7 March 2003, Official Report, column 1290W, on the Energy White Paper, if she will place a copy of the nuclear and radiological skills study in the Library; what the URL is for the report on her Department's website; and if she will publish the (a) names and (b) affiliations of the members of the task group. [103306]
Mr. Wilson: Copies of the report of the nuclear and radiological skills study have been placed in the Library of the House and are also available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/nuclear/sldlls/nsg.shtml The report was produced by a group chaired by Professor John Chesshire and made up of people from the nuclear industry, academics and officials from my Department, the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the Health and Safety Executive. Full details are listed in the report.
Fireworks
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to restrict the sale and use of very noisy fireworks; and at what decibel level the restriction will be set. [101014]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Firework (Safety) Regulations 1997 prohibited the supply to the general public of aerial shells, shells-in-mortar and some other large and powerful fireworks including the category 4 type.
Fireworks meeting these Regulations must comply with BS7114. However, this standard does not set a maximum noise level.
As part of the work associated with the Fireworks Bill currently before Parliament, we are considering how best to control the level of noise emitted by fireworks.
Glass
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many tonnes of (a) green, (b) white and (c) brown glass were imported in each year since 1997. [103338]
Alan Johnson: The information is not available.
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Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many tonnes of (a) green, (b) white and (c) brown glass were manufactured in the UK in each year since 1997. [103337]
Alan Johnson: The information is not available.
Hydropower
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the contribution of hydropower on British rivers towards electricity production. [103320]
Mr. Wilson: The most recent statistics for year ending December 2001 show that hydro-power in the UK has an installed capacity of about 1500 MW which could be expected to produce between 4000 and 5000 Giga Watt Hours of electricity, the actual output being dependent on rainfall.
- Source:Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2002 (Published by the Department of Trade & Industry)
Iraq (Oil)
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what (a) discussions she has held with and (b) representations she has received from the US Government concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following any conflict which leads to regime change; [102750]
- (2) what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following a conflict in the Middle East; [102757]
(3) what discussions she has held with multinational oil companies concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following any conflict in the Middle East. [102751]
Ms Hewitt: It is our position that Iraqi oil is owned by the Iraqi people. Its revenues should be used for the good of the people. We make this clear in all our contacts on the subject.
However, the current situation is not about oil, it is about weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi regime deliberately flouting the will of the United Nations.
Ministerial Meeting
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the meeting between the hon. Member for Leicester, East and the Minister for E-Commerce on 10 March. [103222]
Mr. Timms: I met the hon. Member and a delegation representing the textiles and clothing industry in Leicester to discuss issues relating to the industry. I agreed to write to the hon. Member addressing the points raised at the meeting, which I will do shortly.
Motor Fuel
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations she has received advocating an investigation by the Competition Commission into motor fuel (a) retailing and (b) wholesaling. [103046]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: In recent months, we are aware of having received one representation advocating an investigation by the competition authorities into motor fuel retailing or wholesaling.
Nuclear Exports (India)
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there is a complete embargo on exports of replacement parts for nuclear power stations in India. [103167]
Nigel Griffiths: I refer the hon. Member to the reply from my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love) on 15 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1298–1300W.
A licence will not be issued where there is a clear risk that the items could contribute to weapons of Mass Destruction Programme.
Office of Fair Trading
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she plans to replace the computer licensing system at the Office of Fair Trading; and if she will make a statement. [102782]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Investment in the OFT's computer systems is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading to decide.
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