§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list(a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on security of information systems, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110291]
§ Ms HewittI refer to my answer on 22 May 2002,Official Report, column 385W. The committee has not met since that response and currently there are no plans for it to reconvene.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade arid Industry if she will list(a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU advisory committee on restrictive practices and dominant positions, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110304]
§ Ms HewittThe Advisory Committee on Restrictive Practices and Dominant Positions is the body through which the European Commission carries out its duty to consult member states on decisions and amendments to EC competition law which it proposes to adopt. Office of Fair Trading officials represent the UK at these meetings, but may be accompanied by officials from Government Departments and other regulators where they have a particular interest.
Since January 2002, there have been 21 meetings of this Committee, as a result of which the European Commission adopted 16 decisions (10 prohibiting and fining cartels, one prohibiting and fining companies involved in restricting trade between member states and five granting exemptions for agreements or practices which would otherwise be prohibited under Article 81 of the EC Treaty). The process is transparent. The Commission issues a press release when it adopts a decision, and the full version of the decision is published 461W in the Official Journal of the European Communities, as well as being made available on the Commission's website. Significant legislative changes which arise from meetings of the Advisory Committee are subject to the usual Parliamentary scrutiny process.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list(a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU advisory committee on standardisation in the field of information technology, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110306]
§ Ms HewittI refer to my answer on 21 May 2002,Official Report, column 237W. The Committee has not met since that response and currently there are no plans for it to reconvene.