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Global Point Business Park

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many expressions of interest were received in the development of Global Point Business Park at Corr's Corner, Ballyhenry; what the prospects are for the future of that development; and if he will make a statement. [95094]

Mr. Pearson: Outline permission for the development of a mixed use business park at Global Point, Newtownabbey has been hindered by delays in agreeing transportation and development mix issues. It is expected that these will be resolved in the near future. A limited amount of promotion has taken place with 13 potential investors visiting the park in the last year. The current downturn in Foreign Direct Investment and Invest NI's broader responsibilities in respect of business start and business growth in the indigenous market points the way to a more diverse development mix than originally envisaged.

Horticulture

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on government policy on horticulture in Northern Ireland. [95530]

Mr. Paul Murphy: At the end of January, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for agriculture and rural development, announced a public consultation exercise for the strategic development of the horticulture sector in order to obtain the views of those in the industry and its ancillary stakeholders. This exercise will be instrumental in establishing Government policy for the short, medium and long-term future.

The consultation exercise is the current phase of a review which follows on from the completion of a consultants' report and development plan to establish future policy for the development of the horticulture sector. A key goal of the development plan will be to assist the industry to devise and implement a strategy to develop commercial horticulture to meet present and future challenges. This continuing emphasis on the need

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for a strategic approach also reflects one of the recommendations of the Vision report on the future of horticulture.

I commend the report and development plan to all those with an interest in the future of Northern Ireland horticulture and urge stakeholders to make their views known on these documents so that they can help shape the future of their industry. The closing date for comments on the report and development plan is 21 April 2003.

Industrial Development Board

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what land transactions were concluded between the former IDB and TK-ECC or its predecessors; and what the (a) nature, (b) purpose and (c) amounts involved in such disposals were. [95535]

Mr. Pearson: The following land transactions were concluded between the former IDB and TK-European Components Corporation:

At Kennedy Way, West Belfast, European Components Corporation had a 21 year factory lease on 78,000 sq ft building within a nine acre land holding from April 1981. The lease terminated in November 1994 when the company moved to its current location at Upper Newtownards Road, Dundonald.

At Upper Newtownards Road, Dundonald, European Components Corporation had a 21 year factory lease on a 275,000 sq ft building within a 23 acre land holding from January 1979. The lease terminated in July 1995 when the company purchased the 23 acre site and the factory by freehold for £1,500,000.

Parade's Commission

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to respond to the Review of the Parades Commission submitted by Sir George Quigley. [83099]

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Ministerial Statement on the same subject made today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

TK-ECC

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance the TK-ECC factory at Dundonald received from the former IDB; what outstanding Letters of Offer exist from Invest Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [95532]

Mr. Pearson: The information requested, beyond the last five years, is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, during the last five years, TK-ECC (formerly European Components Corporation) was offered selective financial assistance totalling £2 million from the former Industrial Development Board. This related to an offer made in 1998 towards an investment programme of £12.2 million. There are no other outstanding offers of selective financial assistance to the company.

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Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether Invest Northern Ireland is intending to claw back grant aid from TK-ECC following the recent announcement of redundancies at the company's Dundonald plant. [95534]

Mr. Pearson: The terms and conditions which govern grant clawback are included in Financial Assistance Agreements between Invest NI and the company. In accordance with its standard practice Invest NI will be reviewing the position under these agreements in the light of the recent announcement by the company.

WORK AND PENSIONS

19-Year-Olds

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from the Foyer Federation regarding the support of 19-year-olds wanting to follow a full-time training or education course. [93159]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: Ministers and officials from this Department have regular contact with the Foyer Federation in relation to the issues for which they campaign.

We have recently received a discussion document from the Foyer Federation;, this sets out the Federation's proposal to extend the financial support available to disadvantaged young people aged 16 to 19 years wanting to take up or continue full- time study.

Together with colleagues in other interested Departments, we are currently giving the proposals careful consideration and will be responding to the Foyer Federation in due course.

Departmental Suppliers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who the suppliers are of his Department's (a) paper and (b) paper products. [91907]

Malcolm Wicks: The suppliers of cut office paper to Department for Work and Pensions are: Banner Business Supplies, Guilbert (UK) Ltd., Glenmore Business Papers, Premier Paper, and The Paper Company.

The suppliers of printed paper products are: Astron, Belmont Press, PSUK and Sandy Press, Slater, Cherry Print, Oakfield Press, Colibri Press, MRP, Charisma, Print & Design Factory, Aldridge Print and Trafford (for forms, leaflets, training material and claim packs); Deanprint, Newtown, and Sunstreet (for card and board products); SP&S Secure Print and Stationery, and PADS (for Instruments of Payment and secure forms); Banner Business Stationery (for envelopes); and CEM (for business reply envelopes).

Incapacity Benefit (Claimant Numbers)

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of incapacity benefit there were in each year since its introduction, broken down by local authority area. [94007]

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Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information has been placed in the Library.

New Deal

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have gained unsubsidised sustained employment under the New Deal, broken down by programme, since their implementation; how much has been spent on the New Deal, broken down by programme, in the same period; and if he will make a statement. [91213]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 20 January 2003]: The available information is in the tables.

	Total number of people moving into unsubsidised sustained jobs (up to the end of September 2002, unless otherwise stated)
New Deal for Young People (from January 1998)(6)	290,630
New Deal 25 plus (from July 1998)(6)	80,600
New Deal for Disabled People (from July 2001)(7)	(8)1,655

⁽⁶⁾ A sustained job in the New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus is defined as one lasting 13 weeks or more.

⁽⁷⁾ A sustained job in the New Deal for Disabled People is defined as one lasting 26 weeks out of a 39 week period. New Deal for Disabled People was launched nationally in July 2001. Prior to that, pilots beginning in September 1998 had helped 8,242 people into jobs (sustained and unsustained).

⁽⁸⁾ Figures up to October 2002.

Source:

New Deal Evaluation Database

Separate data for sustained jobs are not available for the New Deal 50 plus, New Deal for Lone Parents or New Deal for Partners. The figures for these programmes which follow therefore relate to all people moving into jobs.

	Total number of people moving into jobs (up to the end of September 2002, unless otherwise stated)
New Deal 50 plus (from April 2000)	86,300
New Deal for Lone Parents (from July 1998)	161,700
New Deal for Partners (from May 1 999)	1.360(9)

⁽⁹⁾ Figure up to November 2002

Source:

New Deal Evaluation Database

Expenditure on the New Deals⁽¹⁰⁾£million

	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02 (Est.)
Young People	50	268	378	368	285
25 plus	0	24	108	128	226
50 plus(11)	0	0	5	20	15
Lone Parents	0	21	41	41	36
Disabled People	0	5	20	10	10
Partners	0	0	5	10	10

⁽¹⁰⁾ Includes expenditure in Northern Ireland.

⁽¹¹⁾ New Deal 50 plus expenditure does not include employment credits, which are met from Annually Managed Expenditure

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Using these figures to construct simplistic measures of the cost effectiveness of these programmes is not recommended. When assessing cost effectiveness a range of factors need to be considered including the wider impact on the economy and wider social benefits. Evaluations of some of these programmes have made such assessments, based on a thorough examination of all impacts, and these are contained in their evaluation reports, available in the Library.

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have benefited from the new deal for young people in Telford since 1997. [93284]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: Up to the end of September 2002, 1,320 people had participated in the new deal for young people in Telford.

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