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Disability Discrimination Act
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to issue guidance to businesses concerning compliance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 for labelling which is user friendly for visually impaired and blind people; and if she will make a statement. [22495]
Alan Johnson: DTI has agreed to work with the Disability Rights Commission in promoting best practice in relation to the provision of information in accessible formats accompanying manufactured goods.
The manufacture or design of products, including labelling, is not covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
EU Chemicals Strategy
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for South Swindon (Ms Down) on 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 653W, what information and advice was contained in the communications; and if she will make a statement. [22755]
Ms Hewitt: I have nothing further to add to my earlier reply.
Pulmonary Disease Claims
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical assessments have been made by Healthcall in each of the coalfield areas, showing the level of diagnosed disability in each case. [22234]
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Mr. Wilson [holding answer 12 December 2001]: Healthcall, the company contracted to undertake the delivery of the Medical Assessment Process, has completed 50,124 appointments, to date. The Department is unable to list the diagnosed disability in each case. The number of appointments completed by region is as follows:
| Region | Number of appointments completed |
|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 6,124 |
| North East | 2,300 |
| North West | 1,226 |
| Nottinghamshire | 2,244 |
| Derbyshire | 693 |
| Midlands Other | 1,871 |
| South West | 77 |
| South East | 528 |
| Wales | 7,670 |
| Scotland | 2,583 |
| Mobile Test Units | 359 |
| Domicillary | 2,912 |
| Deceased MAPs | 21,537 |
| Total | 50,124 |
Foreign Direct Investment (Buckingham)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the amount of foreign direct investment in the constituency of Buckingham in each year since 1997. [22648]
Nigel Griffiths: Figures collated by Invest UK on inward investment are not recorded at constituency level but on a regional basis. Following are figures from the south-east for each of the years since 1997.
The figures are based on information provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK. They are based on the companies' best estimate, at that time, of the number of jobs to be created/safeguarded by the investment in its first three years.
There is no requirement to notify inward investment decisions and so the figures include only those projects where Invest UK and its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice.
| South-east region | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of projects | 57 | 73 | 110 | 191 |
| Number of new jobs | 5,534 | 4,497 | 6,236 | 18,190 |
| Number of safeguarded jobs | 7,482 | 13,957 | 15,987 | 4,547 |
| Total number of associated jobs | 13,016 | 18,454 | 22,223 | 22,737 |
Broadband (Buckingham)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of (a) the availability and (b) the take-up of broadband services by (i) individuals and (ii) businesses in the constituency of Buckingham. [22532]
Mr. Alexander: The Government have made no assessment at that level of localised information. A map showing availability of broadband services in the UK has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Business Support (Buckingham)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what business support services funded by her Department are based in the constituency of Buckingham. [22529]
Nigel Griffiths: The Small Business Service funds a network of local business link operators throughout England. Business link operators provide access to a wide range of services to local businesses, including information and advice, export development assistance, marketing, training and development, financial packaging, information and communication technologies, design, etc.
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Business link operators assess the needs of individual businesses (including start-ups) and put together packages of assistance to meet these needs, referring as necessary to support provided by partner organisations and other suppliers.
The business link operator for Buckinghamshire is Business Link Solutions which covers Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Small Business Service
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) individuals and (b) small businesses from the constituency of Buckingham have written to the Small Business Service in the last 12 months; and what the average number of working days taken to respond was. [22527]
Nigel Griffiths: SBS's South East Regional Team has received three written requests relating to this area, all inquiries were answered within three days of receipt, and were all directed to Business Link Milton Keynes Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
SBS takes an average of 10 working days to respond to correspondence. Most requests are handled by Business Links, rather than the SBS.
May I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to question No. 22528.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) individuals and (b) small businesses for the constituency of Buckingham have used the Small Business Service in each quarter since April 2000. [22528]
Nigel Griffiths: The table shows the number of businesses and individuals assisted by Business Link Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Management Information for Business Link local and national services are not desegregated to constituency level.
| (a) Business | (b) Individuals | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01: | ||
| April to June (Q1) | 2,378 | 1,035 |
| July to September (Q2) | 3,790 | 905 |
| October to December (Q3) | 3,710 | 839 |
| January to March (Q4) | 1,972 | 658 |
| 2001–02: | ||
| April to June (Q1) | 2,395 | 767 |
| July to September (Q2) | 3,105 | 607 |
Source:
Business Link Management Information returns.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the Public Service Agreement target on foreign direct investment. [23172]
Ms Hewitt: The latest foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) show that the UK maintained its position as the largest recipient of inward
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FDI stocks in the EU in 2000. The UK percentage share increased slightly from 20.0 per cent. in 1999 to 20.3 per cent. in 2000.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the Public Service Agreement target on support for exporters, quality of service, exports and the business image of the UK. [23173]
Ms Hewitt: Details on the requested PSA targets were published in March 2001 in "British Trade International—The Government's Expenditure Plans 2001–02 to 2003–04 and Main Estimates 2001–02", Cm 5123, a copy of which was placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the target to operate a zero. [23160]
Ms Hewitt: The Department has reviewed and refined its Fraud Policy Statement and supporting Guidance on Fraud Risk Management within the last year. These have been published on the departmental intranet. Guidance on the topic has also been issued to departmental staff.
As well as operating a general "whistleblowing" scheme through which staff can raise areas of concern (which may include suspicions of fraud) the Department has posted contact details for the Fraud Officer so that concerns may also be raised directly with him.
The Department is represented at a range of ministerial, interdepartmental and treasury working groups on counter fraud measures and liaises with Scotland Yard and others in the wider counter fraud community to ensure that we remain current on issues of best practice in this area.
We are committed to prompt and appropriate response to the occasional instances of suspected fraud that arise.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the target on payment of presented bills within 30 days of receipt of goods or a valid invoice. [23159]
Ms Hewitt: The percentage of bills which were paid by my Department within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice has increased from 93 per cent. for the period April to November 2000 to 96 per cent. for the same period in the year 2001.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the public service agreement target on the number of companies spun out from universities. [23170]
Ms Hewitt: The DTI has met the PSA target of increasing by 50 per cent. the 1997–98 number of companies spun out from universities by 2001–02.
A recent survey of exploitation activity in the higher education sector has shown that 199 companies were spun out from universities in the academic year 1999–2000, and a total of 537 university spinouts were created over the period 1994–95 to 1999–2000 inclusive. This compares with the baseline of 26 companies spun out from universities during 1997 against the background of a total population of 223 companies wholly or partially owned by HEIs for the commercial exploitation of their research results in 1997–98.
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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the target on key services on-line. [23156]
Ms Hewitt: My Department has already made 32 of its services (41 per cent. of the planned total) available online. We expect to make a further 28 available online by the end of 2002, a cumulative figure of 60 (76 per cent.), and, subject to the outcome of the 2002 Spending Review, the remaining 19 (100 per cent.) by the end of 2005.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the target on unit cost reduction on document registration. [23165]
Ms Hewitt: Companies House has consistently met or exceed its unit cost reduction target for document processing since the target was first set in 1997–98. On the back of record growth in the register in 2000–01, the target was bettered by 100 per cent. in that year. It is not possible to anticipate results for 2001–02 as calculation requires end-year figures. While Companies House believes it is broadly on target, it is unlikely to do more given the increased focus on quality and customer service rather than lower cost per se.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the target on measures of efficiency. [23166]
Ms Hewitt: Progress against the Department's main target on efficiency will be reported on in its Expenditure Plans Report which is due in to be published in April 2002.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the target on services and activities as set out in the handbook Better Quality Services. [23158]
Ms Hewitt: My Department is on line to meet its BQS targets which are to review 60 per cent. of its activities by March 2003 and 100 per cent. of its activities by the end of 2004.
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