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Fur Sales
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the number of retail businesses involved in selling fur garments in each of the last five years. [21243]
Mr. Page: This information is not available.
English Regional Development Organisations
Mr. Luff: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet considered the business plans of the English regional development organisations; and what level of financial support he proposes to offer for 1997-98.[21558]
Mr. Greg Knight: I have studied the current performance and future plans of the existing eight English regional development organisations. I am pleased to say that they continue to make a significant contribution to the work of my Department's Invest in Britain Bureau, and to the overall success of the United Kingdom in attracting inward investment and in particular to their region's performance. I have also had detailed proposals for the establishment of new regional development organisations in the east and south-east of England. Taking all this into account I have today offered a total of £10,47 million in grants for the inward investment promotion activities of the existing regional development organisations for 1997-98 and to establish the two new ones in the east and south-east who are being offered grants of £505,000 each.
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 783
Grant is offered on an annual basis according to past performance, ability to absorb additional funding effectively, and for an agreed programme of future activities, with proper regard to value for money. It is Government policy to encourage direct inward investment to the UK because it contributes significantly to economic growth. Inward investment brings benefits both to the country as a whole and more specifically to the assisted areas. The creation of new regional development organisations in the east and south-east of England completes the coverage of the UK map with such organisations and will greatly assist our efforts to attract inward investment.
Radio Spectrum
Mr. Luff: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for introducing pricing to promote efficient use of the radio spectrum [21517]
Mr. Lang: The White Paper, "Spectrum Management into the 21st Century", Cm 3252, announced that national and regional services would be candidates for selective auctions; and that auctions could be used to promote the release of analogue broadcasting spectrum, subject to satisfactory safeguards for existing broadcasters. It also outlined administrative pricing proposals focused on areas and services affected by spectrum congestion. In responses to the White Paper, there was broad support for this package of measures.
The success of the radio industry depends on timely provision of its raw material, radio spectrum. This finite resource is becoming increasingly congested. We intend to proceed, as soon as parliamentary time is available, with legislation to introduce a package of measures to sustain future growth by encouraging its more efficient use.
Inward Investment (English Language Training)
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effects of English language training for inward investment to the United Kingdom. [21218]
Mr. Greg Knight: None. However studies have shown that the English language is an important factor for many overseas companies when considering an investment location in Europe.
Insolvency Service
Mr. French:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the Insolvency Service for 1997-98. [21657]
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Mr. Lang:
Against the Insolvency Service's planning assumption that compulsory insolvencies will total 27,500 in the year to 31 March 1998, I have set it the target of completing the same number with no more than 9 per cent. of uncompleted cases being more than 36 months old. I have also set it the target of reducing the unit cost of bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation case administration in 1997-98 by 3 per cent. The service's investigative resources have been maintained at current levels and I would therefore expect it to continue to take proceedings for the disqualification of unfit directors and to report on cases of criminal misconduct the levels achieved in the year 31 March 1997.
In addition, I have set the service the following quality of service targets for 1997-98:
In addition, I expect the service to action 95 per cent. of invoices for payment within 30 days of receipt and the agency chief executive to reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.
Mr. French:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the Patent Office executive agency for 1997-98. [21663]
Mr. Lang:
I have set the Patent Office the following targets:
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In addition, the agency will maintain its target to pay bills within 30 days of receipt of goods and services or of a valid invoice, whichever is the later, and I expect the chief executive of the Patent Office to continue to reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.
Mr. French:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set his Department's Radiocommunications Agency for 1997-98. [21658]
Mr. Lang:
I have set the Radiocommunications Agency the following quality of service targets for 1997-98 in respect of its licensing work and enforcement activities. These are in addition to achieving an overall efficiency improvement of 4 per cent. over 1996-97 and continuing to recover the full costs of its activities from customers.
I also expect the agency's enquiry point to respond to 92 per cent. of calls within 30 seconds, and 95 per cent. of all invoices to be paid within 30 days, or within the timescale agreed with suppliers and the remainder to be dealt with within a further 30 days. In addition, the chief executive will continue to reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply and to all written complaints addressed to him about the agency's services.
Mr. French:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the agency review of the Radiocommunications Agency has been completed; and if he will make a statement. [21661]
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Mr. Lang:
A report on the prior options review of the Radiocommunications Agency has been completed. Copies of this document, which completes the agency review process, have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
to report to creditors on assets and liabilities within eight weeks in at least 90 per cent. of call cases; and within 12 weeks in 98 per cent. of all cases;
to hold the initial meeting of creditors within 12 weeks in 90 per cent. of all cases and within four months in 98 per cent. of all cases;
to submit reports within 10 months in at least 90 per cent. of bankruptcy cases and 80 per cent. of company liquidation cases where there is evidence of criminality;
to submit disqualification reports within 15 months in at least 80 per cent. of cases where there is evidence of unfit conduct by directors; and
to check and action at least 95 per cent. of Insolvency Services account payment requisitions within five days or by the due date.
Efficiency
To increase output in relation to total staff numbers by 2 per cent.
To increase output in relation to total staff costs by 2 per cent.
To increase output in relation to current expenditure by 2 per cent.
Quality
To issue 90 per cent. of patent search reports within 12 weeks of receiving a request.
To issue 90 per cent. of patent examination reports within 18 months of publication.
To confirm payment of patent renewal fees within six working days of receipt.
To issue 90 per cent. of initial design search and examination reports within 12 weeks.
To confirm payment of design renewal fees within six working days of receipt.
To issue 90 per cent. of trade mark examination reports within two months of data capture in the Patent Office.
To advertise within seven months of examination trade mark applications which attract no substantive objection at examination stage.
To register within four months of advertisement 97 per cent. of advertised marks which are not formally opposed.
Licensing
Category A: Licences that involve no frequency assignment, site clearance or international co-ordination; 100 per cent. of applications and amendments to be processed and despatched within five working days.
Category B: Licences that involve frequency assignment but no site clearance or international co-ordination; 90 per cent. of applications and amendments to be processed and despatched within 15 working days; remainder to be processed and despatched within 25 working days or an explanation for any delay provided to the applicant.
Category C: Licences that require frequency assignment and site clearance and/or international co-ordination; 90 per cent. of applications and amendments to be processed and despatched within 40 working days; remainder to be processed and despatched within 60 working days or an explanation of the delay provided to the applicant.
Category D: Renewals of all licences in category A to be processed and despatched within five working days; renewals of licences in categories B and C to be processed and despatched within 10 working days.
Enforcement
100 per cent. of safety of life services reports of interference to be investigated within 24 hours.
98 per cent. of business customers reports of interference to be investigated within five working days, the remainder within a further 10 days.
98 per cent. of domestic customers reports of interference to be investigated within 1 month, the remainder within a further month.
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