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University Research (Funding)
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has in respect of funding for capital equipment for university research; and if he will make a statement. [15378]
Mr. Ian Taylor [holding answer 11 February 1997]: There is to be second round of the joint research equipment initiative involving the research councils, funding councils and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. In last year's initiative, public funds of around £25 million were matched by funds from industry and other sponsors to yield a total sum for university equipment of £50 million, with 175 projects supported in over 50 institutions.
The details of the second round are currently being finalised, but the aim again is to provide some £50 million for equipment in 1997-98 with the help of industry and other sponsors.
Civil Aviation (Research)
Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what projects are currently being funded from CARAD--the civil aviation research and technology programme. [15856]
Mr. Greg Knight [holding answer 18 February 1997]: I regret that the information requested cannot be provided. Some of the projects are supported jointly with the Ministry of Defence and are classified. Release could cause harm in terms of the defence, security and commercial confidence exemptions in the code of practice on access to government information, and would inform competitors about detailed areas of research supported, to the potentially serious detriment of the national research effort. The other projects are carried out by companies whose permission would be required to breach commercial confidentiality. This could be obtained for all projects only at disproportionate cost and would take considerable time. Some projects have been the subject of press publicity. Copies of press releases issued by the Department have been placed in the Library of the House and I have arranged for a copy of the latest CARAD annual report to be placed there.
Sir Cranley Onslow:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the total expenditure under the CARAD programme in each of the past five years. [15853]
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 598
Mr. Knight
[holding answer 18 February 1997]: Total expenditure under the CARAD programme in each of the five years financial years 1991-92 to 1995-96 is tabulated below.
| £ million | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial year | |||||
| 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993--94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | |
| Gross | 25.6 | 26.4 | 23.2 | 23.9 | 24.7 |
| Receipts(37) | -0.2 | -0.1 | -0.2 | -0.5 | -0.2 |
| Nett | 25.4 | 26.3 | 23.0 | 23.4 | 24.5 |
(37) Residual levies on pre-CARAD projects, and VAT recoveries.
Albania
Mr. MacShane: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to prevent (a) British citizens, (b) British firms and (c) British-sponsored firms or consultancies from becoming involved in Albanian pyramid selling. [16412]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Government cannot prevent people making unwise decisions in other countries. However, the Government have acted vigorously to inform people of the risks of money circulation schemes and to prevent such schemes gaining hold in the United Kingdom. In the past three years, we have successfully applied to the court to wind up over 20 companies where this appears justified in the public interest. We have supported the enactment of the Trading Schemes Act 1996 which brings money circulation schemes within the controls of the Fair Trading Act 1973. We have also made related regulations requiring basic good trading practice in the running of trading schemes.
Industry Acts Payments (Corby)
Mr. William Powell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total amount paid under the Industry Acts and subsequent legislation to companies in the Corby area in each year since 1980. [15730]
Mr. Greg Knight: Records showing the total amount paid to companies in the Corby travel-to-work area under sections 7 and 8 of the Industrial Development Act (1982), by calender year, for the period 1983 to 1996 are as follows:
| Year | (£000's) |
|---|---|
| 1983 | 840 |
| 1984 | 3,037 |
| 1985 | 5,611 |
| 1986 | 2,925 |
| 1987 | 6,561 |
| 1988 | 5,262 |
| 1989 | 7,210 |
| 1990 | 10,404 |
| 1991 | 3,322 |
| 1992 | 1,339 |
| 1993 | 1,991 |
| 1994 | 2,964 |
| 1995 | 669 |
| 1996 | 1,047 |
| Total | 53,182 |
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 599
Waste Recycling
Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many aluminium can recycling sites there were in the United Kingdom at the latest available date; and how many were located at (a) supermarkets, (b) local authority aluminium can banks, (c) local authority drinks can banks and (d) other facilities. [16202]
Mr. Page [holding answer 18 February 1997]: In 1994, there were 4,800 aluminium can collection points in the UK. Reliable data relating to their precise location are not yet available.
Source: Aluminium Can Recycling Association.
Mr. Page [holding answer 18 February 1997]: Estimated theoretical capacities for post-consumer materials recycling are as follows:
| Tonnes | |
|---|---|
| (a) | 900,000 |
| (b) | >112,500 |
| (c) | 240,000 |
| (d) | 120,000 |
| (e) | >4,000,000 |
| (f) | >100,000 |
| (g) | >200,000 |
| (h) | >975,000 |
| (i) | >400,000 |
Utilisation of these capacities depends upon a number of technical, logistical and commercial factors. Capacity also exists for recovering energy from some of these materials.
Ms Ruddock:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the tonnage of (a) glass, (b) plastics, (c) steel cans, (d) aluminium cans, (e) paper and card, (f) batteries, (g) tyres, (h) vehicles and (i) electrical and electronic equipment, recycled in the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available. [16200]
Sources: recycling advisory unit and industry data.
Mr. Page [holding answer 18 February 1997]: Tonnages of post-consumer products recycled in 1995 were:
| Tonnes | |
|---|---|
| (a) | 501,000 |
| (b) | 112,500 |
| (c) | 80,000 |
| (d) | 30,000 |
| (e) | 4,000,000 |
| (f) | 100,000 |
| (g) | 200,000 |
| (h) | 975,000 |
| (i) | 300,000(38) |
(38) Estimate, for "white goods".
Sources: recycling advisory unit and industry data.
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 600
Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the recycling rate for (a) glass, (b) plastics, (c) steel cans, (d) aluminium cans, (e) paper and card, (f) batteries, (g) tyres, (h) vehicles and (i) electrical and electronic equipment, in the United Kingdom at the latest available date. [16201]
Mr. Page [holding answer 18 February 1997]: Recycling rates in 1995 for post-consumer waste products were:
| Per cent. | |
|---|---|
| (a) | 26.5 |
| (b) | 5.5 |
| (c) | 16.0 |
| (d) | 28.0 |
| (e) | 35.0 |
| (f) | (car batteries) 90.0 |
| (g) | 51.0 |
| (h) | 75.0 |
| (i) | (white goods) 75.0 |
Sources: recycling advisory unit and industry data.
Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the (a) number of aluminium cans produced and consumed, (b) consumption of aluminium cans in tonnes, (c) number of aluminium can banks, (d) number of aluminium cans collected, (e) number of tonnes of aluminium cans collected and (f) aluminium can recycling rate in (i) 1995 and (ii) 1996 in the United Kingdom. [16203]
Mr. Page [holding answer 18 February 1997]: The information is as follows:
| 1995 | 1996 | |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | 7.0 billion produced | 5.3 billion produced |
| 6.8 billion consumed | 5.1 billion consumed | |
| (b) | 109,000 tonnes | 84,000 tonnes |
| (c) | 4,8000 | Data not yet available |
| (d) | 1.9 billion | Data not yet available |
| (e) | 30,000 tonnes | Data not yet available |
| (f) | 28 per cent | Data not yet available |
Source: Aluminium Can Recycling Association.
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