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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 25 November 1997, Official Report, column 510, what representations have been made by trade and business associations (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) within the EU requesting further community legislation on (i) road and rail passenger transport, (ii) measuring instruments, (iii) gas liberalisation and (iv) electronic commerce; and what representations have been published by (1) Her Majesty's Government and (2) the EU Commission. [22174] Mrs. Beckett: While businesses involved in road and rail transport make representations from time to time about ongoing Community legislative proposals they have not in the main made representations requesting further legislation. In addition the CBI has recently announced that priority should be given to promoting liberalisation of EU railways. The UK Weighting Federation (UKWF) and the Petrol Pump Manufacturers Association (PPMA) have made representations to the Department about the need for market-opening Community legislation in the field of measuring instruments. I understand that both the European Trade Associations representing the UKWF and PPMA have met the relevant Commissioner on a number of occasions to press for further Community legislation. The Government have not published any of these representations. The Government are not aware that any such representations have been published by the Commission. Various representations were received from UK trade and business in connection with the proposed directive to liberalise the European gas market. The House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, as part of the normal process of scrutiny of EU legislation, held an enquiry and received oral and written evidence from business. Its report, published on 18 November (7th Report, Session 1997-98, HL Paper 35) recommended a debate in the House of Lords which took place on 2 December 1997 (at columns 1313-36). The Government have received several representations from business organisations about legislation on electronic commerce, notably on the need to avoid barriers to intra-Community trade in electronic commerce. The Government are not aware that any such representations have been published by the Commission.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

304 c27-8W; 22174

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Software Competition ICT EU internal trade EU action Natural gas Railways Measuring instruments Travel Transport Utilities Roads Standardisation EU energy policy