---

Export Contracts

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the proportion of companies exporting goods and services which have lost export contracts owing to language difficulties in each of the last five years for which the Government hold data; and if she will list the lost contracts. [38318]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 27 February 2002]: The DTI has been closely involved with a series of studies, both on its own behalf and in collaboration with other agencies, such as the Languages National Training Organisation, with a view to measuring the impact of language skills on export companies. These studies took place in 1997, 1999 and with the LNTO in 2001 and 2002. Details of lost contracts are not held on an individual company basis, though the number of exporting companies explicitly stating they had lost business due to language barriers varies from 5 per cent. to 21.6 per cent. The results in respect of lost business for each report are as follow:

National Languages for Export Campaign (Language Studies)

1997 = 5 per cent.

1997 = 7 per cent.

Sample size—500 UK companies

Languages National Training Organisation (Regional Language Skills Capacity Audits)

North East 2000 = 19 per cent.

West Midlands 2001 = 21.6 per cent.

Yorkshire and Humberside 2001 = 20 per cent.

Note:

Executive Summaries of the LNTO studies are published on the LNTO website: www.languagesnto.org.uk/index.php

Rental Cost Indices

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the rental cost indices were for each nation and region of the UK where the GB level is used as the base figure in each of the last five years. [37571]

Ms Hewitt: It is not clear to what the hon. Member refers. If he would like to write to me in detail I will consider the points he raises.

LNM Holdings

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has held with LNM Holdings on the possible imposition of tariffs on overseas steel imports by the US Government. [38849]

11 Mar 2002 : Column 675W

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 28 February 2002]: The Department has not had any discussions with LNM Holdings regarding this issue.

Space Satellites

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what space satellites that the UK is involved in operating and funding are used for (a) weather, (b) astronomy, (c) spying and (d) other purposes; [41330]

11 Mar 2002 : Column 676W

(2) how many space satellites the UK (a) owns and (b) jointly runs and funds; and with whom the joint agreements are. [41329]

Ms Hewitt: The Government's civil space activities are co-ordinated through the British National Space Centre, an interdepartmental body which is situated in my Department. Details of the civil operational satellites, which the Government have contributed to, are listed in the following table.

List of operational satellites which the UK Government were involved in funding and/or are involved in operating in whole or in part

Satellite	Launch year	Category	Operator(s)	Funding	Ownership
ECS-4	1987	Communications	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
Meteosat-5	1991	Meteorological	EUMETSAT	Jointly funded with the other member states of EUMETSAT	EUMETSAT
Meteosat-6	1993	Meteorological	EUMETSAT	Jointly funded with the other member states of EUMETSAT	EUMETSAT
Hubble space telescope	1990	Astronomy	NASA	Through ESA subscription and NASA	NASA
Ulysses	1990	Solar system science	ESA/NASA	Through ESA subscription and NASA	NASA
ERS-1	1991	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Jointly funded with ESA and its member states	ESA
ERS-2	1995	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Jointly funded with ESA and its member states	ESA
SOHO	1995	Solar system science	NASA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
Meteosat-7	1997	Meteorological	EUMETSAT	Jointly funded with the other member states of EUMETSAT	EUMETSAT
Huygens	1997	Solar system science	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
XMM-Newton	1999	Astronomy	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
Cluster	2000	Solar system science	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
Artemis	2001	Communications	ESA	Jointly funded with ESA (and its member states) and Japan	ESA
Envisat	2002	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Jointly funded with ESA and its member states	ESA

List of future satellites which the UK Government have made a commitment to fund or operate in whole or in part

Satellite	Launch year	Category	Operator(s)	Funding	Ownership
Integral	2002	Astronomy	ESA	Through ESA funding	ESA
MSG-1(4)	2002	Meteorological	EUMETSAT	Shared funding with ESA (and its member states) and EUMETSAT	EUMETSAT
SMART-1	2002	Technology demonstrator/solar system science	ESA	Shared funding with ESA and its member states	ESA
Rosetta	2003	Solar system science	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
EGNOS	2003	Navigation	ESA	Shared funding with ESA and its member states	ESA
Mars Express(5)	2003	Solar system science	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
Cryosat	2004	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Shared funding with ESA and its member states	ESA
METOP-1(4)	2005	Meteorological	EUMETSAT	Shared funding with ESA (and its member states) and EUMETSAT	EUMETSAT
UK disaster monitoring satellite	2003	Earth observation/remote sensing	Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Joint operation with Algeria's Centre National Des Techniques Spatiales, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and other potential overseas collaborating partners	Shared funding with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., ESYS, Algeria's Centre National Des Techniques Spatiales, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and other potential overseas collaborating partners	Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
Gemini	2004	Geostationary satellite communications demonstrator	Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Operating agreement with Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Science and Technology	Shared funding with SSTL and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Science and Technology	Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
TopSat	2004	Earth observation/remote sensing (high resolution imagery demonstrator)	QinetiQ Ltd./Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.	UK Government funding	ESA
GOCE	2004	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Shared funding with ESA and its member states	ESA
SMOS	2006	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Shared funding with ESA and its member states	ESA
ADM	2006	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Shared funding with ESA and its member states	ESA
SMOS	2005	Earth observation/remote sensing	ESA	Shared funding with ESA and its member states	ESA
Herschel	2007	Astronomy	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA
Plank	2007	Astronomy	ESA	Through ESA subscription	ESA

⁽⁴⁾ Series of 3

⁽⁵⁾ Including UK-led lander

11 Mar 2002 : Column 677W

The Government also fund instruments to be flown on satellites owned by others—for example the NASA swift and stereo missions. The procurement and operation of satellites for military communications is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.In addition, licences have been granted to UK companies—for example, Inmarsat, ICO, Surrey Satellite Technology and Europe*Star—to operate particular satellites. Details of these satellites can be found on the regulatory affairs section of the British National Space Centre's website http://www.bnsc.gov.uk/.

Wind Farms

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many wind farms there are in the UK; and how many are (a) offshore and (b) on land. [41327]

Mr. Wilson: My reply is based on the best available information, but this may not be wholly accurate, up-to- date or comprehensive. Excluding very small projects (below 50 Kw installed capacity), the Department is aware of 113 wind farms currently operational in the UK, only one of which is based offshore.

Details of most of these projects were given in my reply of 26 November 2001 to the hon. Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Mr. Duncan), Official Report, columns 671–74W.

In addition, the following wind farms have been added to our records since my earlier reply:

England

Out Newton, Southfield Farm, Hull, Humberside

Hedley Hope, Bishop Auckland, County Durham

Tow Law, Crook, County Durham

Wales

Cemmaes B. Windfarm, Cemmaes, Machynlleth, Powys

Scotland

Beinn-An-Tuirc, Near Carradale, Mull of Kintyre

Cnoc Donn Arnicle, Near Carradale, Mull of Kintyre

Deucheran Hill, Kintyre, Argyll

Bu Farm, Rothiesholm, Stronsay, Orkney

Myres Hill, South of Eaglesham, Galloway

Sainsbury's Distribution Depot, Langlands Park, East Kilbride.

The wind farm off the coast at Blyth, Northumberland is the only UK wind farm currently based offshore. Between now and 2004, the Government are making available up to £74 million for capital grants for the

11 Mar 2002 : Column 678W

emerging UK offshore wind industry, in addition to the substantial support for renewable energy generally provided through the Renewables Obligation.

---