HC Deb 28 April 1988 vol 132 cc226-7W
Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has made to the West German Ministry of Construction to broaden the specifications required to allow British manufacturers to compete on equal terms when tendering for BAOR contracts; and what the result of such representations has been.

Mr. Chope

My Department has made representations both directly to the West German Ministry of Construction and, in common with other NATO partners, to the Federal German Government for the greater use of harmonised standards in respect of electrical and lighting products.

All electrical products which have a European (EC) standard and some with international (IEC) standards, are given the status of a German national (DIN) standard without alteration. However, only the DIN standard can be referred to in documentation because German construction regulations are based on them.

Discussions are continuing. Currently I am seeking to establish a list of those British products which have an EC/ IEC standard which is referred to in the German DIN standard.

Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the value of the electrical and lighting contracts awarded for BAOR premises in 1987; and what proportion of these contracts were placed with(a) British and (b) German companies.

Mr. Chope

In 1987, of the £1¼million worth of contracts for specialised electrical and lighting equipment placed directly by the PSA on behalf of the British forces in Germany, approximately £¾ million (60 per cent.) had been placed with British firms. The bulk of major electrical installation work carried out in Germany is, however, performed through contracts with the Federal Government's construction agencies as required under the status of forces agreement. The total value of work placed by these German authorities with electrical contractors was approximately £11½ million in 1987, but it is not possible to obtain a breakdown of this figure.

Rate support grant in real1 terms: 1978–79 to 1988–89
London borough of Newham
Rate support grant (1987–88 prices) £ million Year on year percentage difference in RSG Percentage Rate support ant per capita (1987–88 prices) £ Year on year percentage difference in RSG per capita Percentage
1978–79 96.549 425
1979–80 90.261 -6.5 388 -8.7
1980–81 89.200 -1.2 401 3.4
1981–822 79.243 -11.2 370 -7.7
1982–83 89.738 13.2 423 14.3
1983–84 71.768 -20.0 341 -19.4
1984–85 86.051 19.9 411 20.5
1985–86 84.844 -1.4 407 -1.0
1986–873 75.875 -10.6 370 -9.1
1987–88 82.445 8.7 402 8.6
1988–89 94.171 14.2 459 14.2
1 Cash values expressed in constant (1987–88) prices using the GDP deflator.
2 The system of paying grant changed in 1981–82 when the needs resources and domestic elements of grant were replaced by block grant and domestic rate relief grant.
3 Grant entitlements changed in 1986–87 following the abolition of the GLC.