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Regional Development Agencies

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funds have been allocated to regional development agencies; and how those funds will be used. [49857]

Alan Johnson: The regional development agencies' budgets for 2002–03 are as follows:

Regional development agencies' budgets
£000

Total(7)
One North East184,738
North-west DA273,927
Yorkshire Forward185,920
East Midlands DA100,947
Advantage West Midlands191,519
East of England DA76,057
South-east of England DA100,130
South-west of England DA93,540
London DA285,396
Total1,492,174

(7) Net of receipts


This funding will be used to support activities in relation to the implementation of the RDAs' regional economic strategies and their statutory purposes which are within their regions to: further economic development and the regeneration of the region; promote business efficiency, investment and competitiveness; promote employment; enhance the development and application of skills; and to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom. From 1 April 2002 the RDA's have a single budget giving them maximum flexibility to meet their regional priorities, within the fiscal framework for public money, removing unnecessary ring fences and unrealistic programme silos which inhibit true integration and innovative cross cutting approaches.

Beagle 2

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding the Government have provided for the Beagle 2 spacecraft; and if she will make a statement on the mission. [48931]

Ms Hewitt: Beagle 2 is the British-led lander that it is planned to deploy from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiting spacecraft onto the surface of Mars at new year 2004.

16 Apr 2002 : Column 848W

The overall cost of Beagle 2, not including the ground segment and instruments, is approximately £40 million, with non UK-Government contributions coming from ESA, private sponsorship and investment by a consortium of UK firms and universities. The contribution of the Government are as follows:

Mars Express: £18 million over the period 1998 to 2005 (Department of Trade and Industry and Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, PPARC).

Beagle 2: The Department of Trade and Industry (including the Office of Science and Technology) has committed up to £18.3 million over the period 2000 to 2003 but this sum may be defrayed by contributions from other partners and investments from the private sector. PPARC has additionally contributed £2.7 million over the period 1998 to 2003 to British universities for the provision of instruments and is currently considering a further contribution of £2.6 million for the ground segment.

TREASURY

Office for National Statistics

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the questionnaire forms sent out to UK businesses by the Office for National Statistics in 2001; [48927]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Whittingdale, dated 16 April 2002:




UK statistical inquiries of businesses carried out by the ONS 2001

Statistical inquiry Frequency(8)Number of forms in 2001 compliance year
Earnings and employment
Wages and SalariesM99,600
New EarningsA234,700
Labour DisputesC287
The Quarterly Inquiry into the number of employees in local government (local authority survey)Q1,800
Vacancy Rate InquiryM62,952
Overseas and financial
Unit Trusts Quarterly Return of TransactionsQ328
Unit Trusts Annual Return of Assets and LiabilitiesA82
Property Unit Trusts Quarterly Return of TransactionsQ48
Property Unit Trusts Annual Assets and LiabilitiesA12
Investment Trusts Quarterly Return of TransactionsQ172
Investment Trusts Annual Return of Liabilities and Assets and Overseas Income and Interest PaidA43
Monthly Inquiry to Credit GrantorsM290
Security Dealers Quarterly Return of Liabilities and Assets of Transactions in SecuritiesQ241
Security Dealers Quarterly Return of Income and ExpenditureQ241
Assets Financing Quarterly Return of Assets and Liabilities of TransactionsQ532
Asset Financing Annual Income and ExpenditureA137
Quarterly Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term funds, Income and ExpenditureQ382
Annual Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term Funds, Income and ExpenditureA140
Quarterly Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term Transactions in Financial AssetsQ382
Annual Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term Funds Balance SheetA140
Quarterly Inquiry into Pension Funds: Income and ExpenditureQ1,324
Quarterly Inquiry into Pension Funds: Transactions in Financial AssetsQ1,324
Annual Inquiry into Pension Funds: Balance SheetA331
Quarterly foreign direct investment—Outward: oilQ1,497
Quarterly foreign direct investment—Outward: otherQ
Quarterly foreign direct investment—Inward: oilQ2,922
Quarterly foreign direct investment—Inward: otherQ
Annual foreign direct investment: OutwardA786
Annual foreign direct investment: InwardA1,797
Acquisitions and MergersC/Q
Domestic acquisitions and mergersC/Q2,570
Quarterly Inquiry into Companies GB Operating ProfitsQ6,510
Quarterly Survey of Financial Assets and LiabilitiesQ2,730
Quarterly Inquiry into International Trade and ServicesQ2,800
Annual Inquiry into International Trade in ServicesA6,180
Merchants InquiryA213
Annual Inquiry into International Transactions: Films and TelevisionA650
Survey of Business Enterprise Research and Development Carried out in the UKA2,000
Dividends Inquiry including PilotQ4,824
ODI ProvingAH738
E-Commerce Transaction of UK BusinessesA9,000
Monthly Inquiry of Internet Service ProvidersM1,200
Ship managers(9)A0
Distribution and service sector
GB cinema exhibitorsQ64
Distribution and service sector—MonthlyM957,337
Distribution and service sector—Quarterly (GAPS)Q27,390
Monthly retail trades inc. monthly self financed credit and monthly retail commodity inquiries(10)M58,089
Retail trades quarterly commodityQ280
Product prices and sales sector
Producer prices indicesM94,830
PPI RotationM3,110
Export price indicesM44,727
Import price indices (inc. import of capital goods)M22,848
Corporate service sector price indices (inc. CSPI turnover inquiry)Q18,375
PRODCOM QuarterlyQ13,786
PRODCOM AnnualA23,072
SERVCOMQ2,017
Production sector
Monthly production(10)M107,968
Motor vehicles productionM381
Engines productionM96
Quarterly—production capital expenditureM96
Quarterly—non-production capital expenditureQ127,498
Monthly production stocksQ828
Quarterly production stocks (17)M29,416
Quarterly construction stocks (16)Q13,178
Quarterly retailers' stocksQ17,678
Quarterly wholesalers' and dealers' stocksQ16,050
Quarterly motor traders' stocksQ6,637
Business spending on Capital Goods SurveyQ2,499
Capital Stocks SurveyA935
Register and proving
Register Inquiry—AnnualA30,900
Register Inquiry—OtherA17,000
Retail prices
Retail Prices Index(11)M3,478
Annual business inquiry
EmploymentA75,604
Financial (including purchases)A
Total1,570,063

(8) AH = ad hoc; A = annual; Q = quarterly; M = monthly; C = continuous; W = weekly; O = other.

(9) The inquiry was not run in 2001. It will resume in 2002.

(10) Includes the collection of quarterly employment figures from existing inquiries.

(11) This covers only businesses that complete ONS forms and excludes forms filled in by local prices collectors employed by ONS.

Notes:

1. STSD—Short Term and Structural Inquiries Division

EED—Earnings and Employment Division

SED—Socio Economic Division

NEI—National Expenditure and Income Division

OFD—Overseas and Financial Division

CPGID—Consumer Price General Inflators Division

BDD—Business Data Division

STOID—Short Term Outputs and Indicators Division


16 Apr 2002 : Column 851W


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