§ Mr. BatisteTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the ESA ministerial conference held in Paris on 4 March. [21425]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorI attended the meeting at ministerial level of the European Space Agency Council in Paris on 4 March. Important decisions were taken which will reinforce ESA's contribution to the UK's industrial and scientific goals in space. Ministerial colleagues agreed on a new industrial policy and a new system for calculating scales of contribution for mandatory programmes. This should improve the agency's value for money and reinforce the competitiveness of European space industry.
779WThe changes which have been agreed will end the traditional system of geographical return—juste retour— the system by which member states receive contracts in direct proportion to the levels of their ESA contributions. The level of juste retour has crept up from 80 per cent. when ESA was established to 96 per cent. in 1994–96 and was seriously undermining value for money in procurement and the agency's ability to improve the competitiveness of European space industry. The old system will be replaced with a mixed system of alternatives which offer lower guarantees for the mandatory and optional programmes and which would allow open competition in much preparatory and some technology activity. We also endorsed new measures to ensure fair allocation of activities among all industrial firms, including measures to safeguard the position of SMEs in bidding for ESA contracts. The new system, which will be introduced over the period 1997–99, signals a fundamental change in the agency's traditional practices towards a more competitive and open system of project procurement in which fixed expectation will play a less
Annual reports Annual accounts Minutes of meetings Agendas of meetings Register of members' interests Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No British Hallmarking Council Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No Coal Authority Yes (S) Yes (S) No No Yes (V) Commissioner for Protection against Unlawful Industrial Action Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No Gas Consumers' Councils Yes (S) No No No No Post Office Users' National Council Yes (S) No No No No Post Office Users' Councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Yes (S) No No No No National Consumer Council Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No Design Council Yes (S) Yes (S) No No Yes (V) Monopolies and Mergers Commission Yes (V) Yes (V) No No No Policyholders' Protection Board Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No Research Councils Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No Simpler Trade Procedures Board Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Yes (S) Yes (S) No No No (S) = Statutory. (V) = Voluntary.
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the executive non-department public bodies sponsored by his Department which are subject to(a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner,(b)scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens' charter. [20934]
Mr. John M. Taylor[holding answer 19 March 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 February 1996, Official Report, column 316. The
780W
£ millions Devon South Hams Total grant offered Total grant paid Total grant offered Total grant paid 1996–97 to date 5.267 5.961 1.605 0.749 1995–96 3.571 6.916 1.020 0.899 1994–95 11.433 4.654 1.778 1.088 1993–94 4.586 4.184 1.679 1.784 1992–93 1.901 3.609 0.364 1.308 dominant role than they have in the past. I believe that UK companies are well placed to exploit fully this new system and increase their share of ESA business.
It was also agreed to introduce a new system of calculation for scales of contributions to mandatory programmes which has resulted in a saving to the UK of about £ million a year. A further formal ministerial meeting was envisaged 1998.