§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 17 December 2001,Official Report, column 103W, on the Export Credits Guarantees Department, what estimate she has made of the savings produced by refinancing; over what period of time she expects these to be realised and under which Vote; and if she will make a statement. [29692]
§ Nigel GriffithsI refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 January 2002,Official Report, column 508W.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the objections made by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to US proposals
1068W
Market Exporter Buyer/airline/operating lessor Project Austria Airbus Industrie Austrian Airlines Airbus Aircraft Azerbaijan Rolls Royce Azerbaijan Hava Yollari Aero Engines Bahrain Airbus Industrie Gulf Air Company GSC Airbus Aircraft Barbados Angloco Ltd. Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs, Barbados Fire Engines Barbados NSG Exports Ltd. Government of Barbados Public Service Vehicles Brazil Airbus Industrie TAM Airbus Aircraft Brazil Fairbank Brearley Ltd. Metallugica Tuzzi Ltda. Hydraulic Machinery Brazil VAI Industries (UK) Ltd. CIA Siderurgica Tubaro (CST) Steel Mill Brazil VAI Industries (UK) Ltd. Companahia Siderugica National (CSN) Rebuild of Blast Furnace Canada Airbus Industrie Air Canada Airbus Aircraft Chile Airbus Industrie Lanchile Airbus Aircraft China Airbus Industrie China Eastern Airlines Airbus Aircraft Croatia Aeromatic-Fielder Ltd. Pliva DD Pharmaceutical Production Line Croatia Airbus Industrie Croatia Airlines Airbus Aircraft on greater transparency at the recently concluded OECD negotiations on common approaches to officially supported export credits and the environment. [29408]
§ Nigel Griffiths[holding answer 22 January 2002]: At the June 2001 meeting of the OECD Export Credit Group the USA rejected latest proposals of the common approaches recommendation as they did not "require" Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) to make public environmental impact information relating to projects being reviewed by ECAs before the ECA reaches its decision on supporting a project.
ECGD would have been content to discuss this issue further and was successful with its proposal that the following wording should be included:
Members are expected to encourage project sponsors to make environmental impact information publicly available".Several of the country representatives stated that their domestic legislation prevented their ECA from making publicly available any information concerning applications for support. Several more made it clear that, at this stage, they could not consider publishing any information "prior" to making their decision on support. It was therefore apparent that a consensus could not have been achieved.
Given the significance of the issues that could be agreed and the commitment to review the agreement by the end of 2003
to enhance it in the light of experience",ECGD concluded that this agreement was a good first step in order to cement the progress made.ECGD will be consulting about the timing of the publication of EIAs in early 2002 as part of its review of its "Impact Questionnaire" and associated case impact analysis process.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library a list of the(a) projects and (b) companies supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1 January 2001. [29410]
§ Nigel Griffiths[holding answer 22 January 2002]: A list of guarantees issued in the financial year 2000–01 was provided in ECGD's annual report and resource Accounts 2000–01 and is shown in the table. Details of overseas investment insurance and other insurances are treated as commercial-in-confidence by ECGD and are thus not given here. ECGD requires exporters' consent to publish guarantee details and will be writing after the end of this financial year to seek this consent for guarantees issued in 2001–02.
1069W
Market Exporter Buyer/airline/operating lessor Project Dominica Carillion Construction (West Indies) Ltd. Ministry of Finance, Dominica Construction of Building Dominican Rep Motherwell Bridge Engineering Ltd. CESPM San Pedro Power Project El Salvador Airbus Industrie TACA International Airlines Airbus Aircraft Finland Airbus Industrie Finnair Airbus Aircraft Hong Kong Airbus Industrie Dragonair Airbus Aircraft Hong Kong Airbus Industrie Cathay Pacific Aiways Ltd. Airbus Aircraft Hong Kong Dennis Specialist Vehicles Ltd. Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1993) Ltd. Buses Hong Kong Volvo Bus Exports (UK) Ltd. Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1993) Ltd. Buses Iceland Rolls Royce Icelandair Aero Engines India Kier International Ltd. Dabhol Power Company Port Development Iran Cementation Skanska National Iranian Steel Corporation Ltd. Coal Mine Jamaica Kier/Mabey (Kingston) Joint Venture Ministry of Transport and Works, Jamaica Flyover Bridges Kazakhstan Fitzpatrick Contractors Ltd. Agency for Health Care Hospital Malaysia Air Products plc Petroliam Nasional Berhad Supplies for Gas Plants Malaysia Air Products plc Petroliam Nasional Berhad Supplies for Gas Plants Mexico Alstom Power UK Ltd. PEMEX Gas Turbines & Associated Equipment Mexico European Marine Contractors Ltd. PEMEX Pipeline Installation Mexico Gall Thomson Environmental plc PEMEX Anti-Pollution Couplings Mexico Howden Power Ltd. Comision Federal de Electricdad Power Station Air Pre-Heater Enhancements Netherlands Airbus Industrie Aerfi Airbus Aircraft Netherlands Airbus Industrie Premiair A/S Airbus Aircraft Oman Weir Westgarth Ltd. Ministry of Electricity and Water, Oman Desalination Plant Philippines The Balfour-Cleveland Consortium Department of Public Works and Highways, Philippines Bridging Components Philippines Mabey & Johnson Government of the Republic of the Philippines Steel Bridging Republic of Korea Airbus Industrie Korean Airlines Airbus Aircraft Singapore Airbus Industrie SALE Airbus Aircraft South Africa BAE Systems Government of South Africa Trainer/Fighter Aircraft Sri Lanka Airbus Industrie Sri Lankan Airlines Ltd. Airbus Aircraft Switzerland Airbus Industrie Flightlease Airbus Aircraft Turkey Airbus Industrie Turkish Airlines Airbus Aircraft Turkey Alstom Power UK Ltd. AK Enerji Gas Turbine Generators Turkey Battenfield Gloucester Europe Ltd. Onur Kimya AS Food Packaging Plant Turkey Corus UK Ltd. Turkey Electricity Generation & Transmission Crop. Steel Products for Thermal Power Plant Turkey Gateway (Textiles) Ltd. Alkan Yatak Yorgan ve San Tic STL Mattress Machinery Turkey Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Tubitak-Bilten Micro Satellite Turkey York International Ltd. Ulusal Finansal Kiralma AS Airconditioning Equipment United Arab Emirates Airbus Industrie Emirates Airbus Aircraft United States Airbus Industrie ILFC Airbus Aircraft United States Airbus Industrie GECAS Airbus Aircraft United States Airbus Industrie CIT Airbus Aircraft
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make environmental and social impact assessments of the Yusefeli Dam available for public discussion before a final decision is taken on extending export credit support to Amec. [29407]
§ Nigel Griffiths[holding answer 22 January 2002]: An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been conducted and we expect that a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) will also be produced. Prior to making any final decision for ECGD support, the Government would need to be satisfied that such reports have taken into account best international practice.
The EIAR is not the property of the UK Government, and its release by ECGD would require the consent of the party who has supplied it to ECGD. Such considerations would also apply to the RAP when that document is produced in due course.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Export Credits Guarantee Department will take to implement the recommendation for public discussion contained in the OECD agreement on common approaches to officially supported export credits and the environment. [29427]
1070W
§ Nigel Griffiths[holding answer 22 January 2002]: The recommendations for public discussion in the Common Approaches on Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits are:
Members are expected to:Publish national ECA environmental statements/principles and procedural guidance. ECGD published its "Statement of Business Principles" in December 2000. A "Case Handling Process—Information Note" and the "Impact Questionnaire" were placed on ECGD's website in January 2001.When appropriate, exchange views with stakeholders. ECGD consulted stakeholders during the development of the "Statement of Business Principles" and is about to launch a formal review of the "Impact Questionnaire" and the case impact analysis process.Encourage project sponsors to make environmental impact information publicly available. For greenfield projects in sensitive sectors or locations ECGD normally expects an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be carried out. Best practice for EIAs includes consultation with the affected communities and in many counties the EIA legislation requires this. ECGD expects project developers to take account of best practice in the preparation of EIAs.Make available to the public at least annually, subject to legal provisions on public disclosure in members' countries, information on projects classified in Categories A and B. ECGD's latest annual report contains details of all the guarantees issued, irrespective of environmental category, during the financial year 2000–01. It is intended to provide this information, on a quarterly basis, on the ECGD website during 2002".