HC Deb 25 January 1996 vol 270 cc313-6W
Mr. Sheerman

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what(a) committees and (b) working parties his Department has set up to advise on (i) recycling, (ii) waste management and (iii) packaging; and in each case who are the current members. [11182]

Mr. Page

The Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment was set up in 1991 to provide a dialogue between Government and industry on environmental issues, including those of waste management and recycling, ACBE is currently reorganising under the chairmanship of David Davies—Johnson Matthey plc—and the membership of the new committee has yet to be established. A list of the membership of the previous committee, whose work finished in November 1995, follows:

MEMBERSHIP OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT Chairman Derek Wanless: National Westminster Bank Plc Members

  • John Baker: National Power Plc
  • Peter Bonfield CBE: ICL Plc
  • Cedric Brown: British Gas Plc
    • 314
  • Ann Burdus: Dawsons International
  • Rodney Chase: British Petroleum Plc
  • Mike Clasper: Proctor and Gamble Europe
  • David Davies: Johnson Matthey Plc
  • Peter Davies: DHL International Ltd.
  • Dr. Oliver Doubleday: Bax Farm
  • Richard Gamble: Royal Insurance Plc
  • Ian Gibson CBE: Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd.
  • Roger Hewitt: formerly Shanks and McEwan
  • Derek Higgs: S.G. Warburg and Co. Ltd.
  • Ron Huggins: Kimberly-Clarke Ltd.
  • Sir Gordon Jones: Yorkshire Water Plc
  • Martin Laing CBE: John Laing Plc
  • Robert Lawton: Lawton Farms
  • David Malpas: Tesco Plc
  • Jean Parker CBE: Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres Ltd.
  • Dr. Robin C. Paul: Albright and Wilson Ltd.
  • George Phillipson: Redland Aggregates Ltd.
  • Sir Antony Pilkington: Pilkington Plc
  • Alan Smith: formerly B and Q Plc
  • John Speirs: Norsk Hydro UK Ltd.
  • Geoff Turnbull MBE: GT Group Ltd.

A Government/industry scrap tyre working group was formed in June 1994 to advise and report on scrap tyre recovery and recycling and associated matters. Its current membership is:

  • Mr. W. Pollock: Director, British Rubber Manufacturers Association
  • Mr. R. Edy Director: National Tyre Distributors Association
  • Ms S. Ikin Director: Retread Manufacturers Association
  • Mr. P. Taylor: Director, Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association
  • Mr. S. Norgrove: DTI
  • Mr. J. Marsh: DTI (Secretary)

The producer responsibility group was set up by industry in response to the joint producer responsibility challenge from DTI and DoE Ministers in July 1993 to recover more value from package waste. It reported in November 1994 and wound itself up. A list of its former members is as follows: LIST OF MEMBER COMPANIES

  • Allied Lyons Plc
  • Bass
  • ASDA Group
  • Booker Plc
  • Bowater Plc
  • Burton Group
  • Guinness Plc
  • Grand Metropolitan Plc
  • Marks and Spencer Plc
  • Northern Foods Ltd.
  • RHM
  • Shell Chemicals Ltd.
  • Tesco Stores Ltd.
  • Unilever
  • Argyll Group Plc
  • BP Chemicals Ltd.
  • The Boots Company Plc
    • 315
  • Coco-Cola GT Britain and Ireland
  • Forte Plc
  • ICI Plc
  • Kingfisher Plc
  • Nestle UK Ltd.
  • Procter and Gamble Ltd.
  • J. Sainsbury Plc
  • D. S. Smith (Holdings) Plc
  • Unigate Plc
  • United Biscuits
  • Weetabix Ltd.
STEERING COMMITTEE
  • Mike Clasper (Chairman)
  • Graeme Crombie
  • Peter Barr
  • Ross Buckland
  • Mike Buzzacott
  • Tim Clement Jones
  • Roger Huff
  • David Lyon
  • Bill Madden
  • Bill Mason
  • John Sharpe
  • Guy Walker
  • David Webster
  • Peter Williams
  • Martin van Zwanenberg
  • Procter and Gamble
  • Shell Chemicals
  • Hazlewood Foods
  • Unigate
  • BP Chemicals
  • Kingfisher
  • Boots
  • Bowater
  • ICI Materials
  • Consultant
  • Birds Eye Walls
  • Van den Bergh Foods

Annual percentage change(total visible trade) Non-oil balance
Year Export volumes Export unit values Import volumes Import unit values Terms of trade Percentage of gross domestic product Change in percentage of gross domestic product
1985 5.6 5.4 3.2 4.9 0.5 -3.2 0.6
1986 4.2 -9.9 7.4 -4.6 -5.6 -3.5 -0.3
1987 6.0 3.5 7.7 2.9 0.5 -3.7 -0.2
1988 2.2 1.0 13.5 -1.0 2.0 -5.2 -1.5
1989 5.8 4.5 8.1 4.3 0.3 -5.0 0.2
1990 6.2 3.5 0.1 2.4 1.1 -3.7 1.3
1991 1.2 1.4 -5.3 1.2 0.2 -2.0 1.7
1992 2.5 2.1 6.5 0.9 1.2 -2.5 -0.5
1993 3.6 12.2 3.9 10.0 2.0 -2.5 -0.1
1994 10.4 2.2 4.1 3.4 -1.2 -2.2 0.3

Mrs. Kennedy

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list as a percentage of gross domestic product for each year since 1985(a) the visible trade balance, (b) the invisible trade balance,

  • Argyll Group
  • D S Smith (Holdings)
  • Marks and Spencer

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what(a) advisory committees and (b) working parties have been established by his Department to advise him on the implications of changes in legislation regarding packaging, recycling and waste management. [11184]

Mr. Page

As far as the implication for legislation are concerned with regard to these matters, the Government consult widely and take into account the views of all interested parties. No committees or working groups have been set up specifically to address the implication of changes in legislation.

The Government are currently considering the recommendation by companies in the packaging chain at their meeting on 15 December 1995 that an advisory committee be established to advise on the drafting and implementation of the regulations and on arrangements for carrying out a review of the legal obligation, including consideration of actual burden on individual companies.