449
Written Answers
28 OCTOBER 1975
the nine international concerns which tendered for this work. It did not secure a contract. The letting of the bulk of the remaining contracts will be spread over the period from now until the end of February 1976.
USSR (Representation in Britain)
Mr. Onslow asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present total of Soviet officials resident in the United Kingdom; and what organisations they represent.
Mr. Hattersley: There are at present 328 Soviet officials resident in the United Kingdom. This figure, which excludes dependants, is made up of the following categories:
(1) Soviet Embassy
(2) Soviet Trade Delegation
(3) Journalists
(4) Soviet commercial organisations
(5) Inspectors of industrial equipnient
being exported to the Union
98
48
23 74
Soviet
71
(6) Soviet employees of international organisations with headquarters in London
14
PRICES AND CONSUMER
PROTECTION
Petrol Rationing
328
Mr. Steen asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she will take steps designed to prevent a monopoly of oil-company- owned retail units being created and to protect privately-owned petrol stations from bankruptcy; and if she will make
a statement.
Mr. Alan Williams: In consultation with me the Director General of Fair Trading is urgently considering the form which a further reference to the Mon- opolies and Mergers Commission would take in respect of the involvement of oil companies in certain aspects of petrol retailing.
Beer
Mr. Stoft asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will take steps designed to ensure
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Written Answers
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that the brewing companies reintroduce traditional draught beer in areas where they have enforced a keg-only monopoly, in the interest of consumer protection.
Mr. Strang: 1 have been asked to reply.
The Food Standards Committee is at present carrying out a full review of beer, and we shall consider whether any action is needed in the light of its report, but the range of beers sold by the brew- ing companies is essentially a matter for commercial judgment.
TRADE
Paper
Mr. Ovenden asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list those inter- national agreements which prevent Her Majesty's Government from reducing the level of duty-free imports of paper and paper products and indicate what arrangements exist for withdrawal from such agreements.
Mr. Deakins: The agreements cover- ing the duty-free quotas for imports of paper and paper products are the Free Trade Agreements between the EEC and each of the seven EFTA countries (Com- mand Papers Nos. 5159 Austria: 5669 Finland: 5182 Iceland: 5556 Norway: 5180 Sweden: 5181 Switzerland and 5164 Portugal). The Agreements may be denounced by either side notifying the other and will cease to be in force 12 months thereafter-in the case of Fin- land, three months. The undertaking not to reduce the duty-free quota levels was given in July 1972 in an exchange of letters between Her Majesty's Govern- ment ad cach EITA country (No. 5 in Command 5180).
Companies Registration Office
Mr. Trotter asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many postal mquiries have been made annually at the Companies Registration office and the Registry of Business Names, respectively; what charge was made for the facility; why the facility is being withdrawn; what financial savings are expected to result; and whether he will reconsider the deci- sion having regard to the resulting incon- venience to those needing to wake inquiries.
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