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Business Links
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to bring about a business link in East Lancashire. [10634]
Mr. Richard Page: The chairman of the business link national assessment panel had detailed discussions with the chairman of the East Lancashire training and enterprise council about its proposals for a business link in East Lancashire. Those proposals were considered by the assessment panel in December, which concluded that they needed to be developed further in conjunction with other partners.
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The Government office for the north west has convened a series of meeting with ELTEC, the local chamber of commerce and the local authorities concerned. This has led to the establishment of a working group involving all partners and the Government Office, that is committed to developing an agreed bid for consideration by the assessment panel.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the average number of clients held by personal business advisers in business links; and what is the largest and smallest number of clients. [10415]
Mr. Page:
Our latest information indicates that the average case load of a personal business adviser is around 40 clients. Most have between 21 and 50; none are known to have more than 100.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals to grant additional funds to the United Kingdom under the European Union Resider and Rechar 1994-1997 programmes were discussed at the management committee meeting of member states in December 1995; and if he will make a statement. [10422]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
The committee's agenda included a Commission proposal to allocate an additional 60 mecu to the United Kingdom for Resider, Rechar, Retex and Konver together, for 1998 and 1999. These are programmes of European structural funds grant for designated areas which have lost jobs in, respectively, steel, coal, textiles and defence.
The UK asked for a larger allocation. Before a decision is taken, the committee will meet again; the European Parliament is also being consulted.
I plan to make a statement after the allocations for these and certain other similar programmes have been settled.
Mr. Hanson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list opencast deposits identified by British Coal on land in its ownership in north Wales; [10927]
Mr. Page:
These are matters for British Coal.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade for what reasons details of official gifts received by Ministers in his Department are not available before 1994-95, as indicated in his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 146. [10178]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
Information in respect of gifts received by Ministers before April 1994 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his Department's letter of 12 September 1995, what progress has been reported to Her Majesty's Government by the United Kingdom systematics forum, on its identification of priorities for systematic biological research. [8411]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
The United Kingdom systematics forum published its "Review of 1994-95" on 6 October 1995 and produced a preliminary report, "Priorities in Systematic Research and Training" in September last year.
I am pleased to be able to announce today that the Office of Science and Technology will be providing a further three years' funding to the systematics forum from 1 April this year, amounting to a total of £86,000. Since it was established in 1994, the forum has done much to foster closer communications within the community it serves, This new commitment will enable it to focus on devising a national strategy on priorities for systematics research.
OST will explore integration of the forum into an existing learned society during this new funding period so that the links built within the systematics community are maintained.
Mr. Andrew Smith:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what have been the running costs relating to the tendering process of the private finance initiative in each year since its introduction (a) in real terms and (b) in cash terms disaggregated by (i) staff costs, (ii) information technology and (iii) other costs. [10969]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
The running costs relating to the tendering process of the private finance initiative within my Department and its associated bodies since its introduction are as follows:
(2) if he will list the landholdings of British Coal in north Wales which are subject to sale currently; if he will list those land holdings of British Coal in north Wales which will be considered for sale in the future; and if he will give the current land use of all of these land holdings. [10926]
| 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff costs | Nil | Nil | (1)11.5 (11.5) | (1)163.4 (159.1) |
| IT | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Other costs | Nil | Nil | (1)11.5 (11.5) | (1)22.4 (21.8) |
(1) Real costs in brackets.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much has been spent on external consultants in the tendering process of the private finance initiative in each year since its introduction (a) in real terms and (b) in cash terms disaggregated by (i) legal fees, (ii) publicity costs, (iii) accountancy fees and (iv) management consultancy fees. [10970]
Mr. John M. Taylor: No money has yet been spent by my Department on external consultants in the tendering process for projects under the private finance initiative.
Forte Hotels
Mr. John Carlisle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he intends to act under the Financial Services Act 1986 in respect of Granada group's decision to understate publicly its intention for the disposal of the Meridien and Exclusive hotels of Forte plc. [9808]
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Mr. John M. Taylor [holding answer 16 January 1996]: Section 47 of the Financial Services Act 1986 provides that it is an offence for any person to seek to manipulate the market in or the price or value of any investments by issuing a statement, promise or forecast which he knows to be false or misleading. If the hon. Member has evidence of improper conduct, he should write to me.
If the bid by Granada Group plc for Forte plc is successful, it is possible that any subsequent disposal or proposed disposal by Granada of assets acquired from Forte might be subject to examination under the merger control procedures of the Fair Trading Act 1973, depending on the nature of the particular disposal in question and of the acquirer.
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Robin Cook: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide a breakdown of the spending by his Department on external advice in relation to the Scott inquiry; and how much has been spent on legal advice and for whom. [10223]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 18 January 1996]: The amount so far spent by my Department on external advice in relation to Sir Richard Scott's inquiry is £293,870. The names of individuals and their legal advisers are confidential to them.
Competitiveness
Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how "Competitiveness: Forging Ahead" was modified by the results of any environmental appraisal undertaken by his Department; [8668]
- (2) if "Competitiveness: Forging Ahead" has been subject to an environmental appraisal using the guidance contained in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment"; and if he will publish the appraisal; [8666]
(3) what procedures have been put in place by his Department to monitor the environmental impacts arising from the implementation of "Competitiveness: Forging Ahead"; [8669]
(4) what alternative courses of action from those detailed in "Competitiveness: Forging Ahead" were considered in any environmental appraisal undertaken by his Department. [8667]
Mr. Page: The 1994 White Paper, "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win" was the first comprehensive audit of the UK's competitive position. The 1995 White Paper, "Competitiveness: Forging Ahead" updated the analysis, and it will be reviewed and developed further in the competitiveness White Paper due to be published later this year.
The White Papers have analysed the main factors influencing competitiveness. They identified the primary responsibility of companies themselves to improve their competitive performance. They also outlined policies and initiatives across the whole of Government to help create the right framework and conditions to foster that improvement.
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