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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:
| Total(7) | |
|---|---|
| One North East | 184,738 |
| North-west DA | 273,927 |
| Yorkshire Forward | 185,920 |
| East Midlands DA | 100,947 |
| Advantage West Midlands | 191,519 |
| East of England DA | 76,057 |
| South-east of England DA | 100,130 |
| South-west of England DA | 93,540 |
| London DA | 285,396 |
| Total | 1,492,174 |
(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]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the amount of time taken by business to compile and return information requested by the Office for National Statistics in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [48925]
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:
- As national Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions concerning statistical questionnaires sent to businesses by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). (48925, 48927)
- The time taken by business in 2001 to compile and return the information requested by ONS is estimated to be around 617 thousand hours. There were 1.57 million business inquiry forms despatched during this period. I attach below a table showing the periodicity and annual number of forms for each business inquiry conducted by ONS.
- Your third question (48926) asks for the split between (a) UK companies, (b) manufacturing companies and (c) distribution and services companies. To provide this will take a special analysis and a reply will follow.
(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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