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14 May 2003 : Column 254W—continued

Concorde

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations she has received on the future of Concorde since January. [112911]

Alan Johnson: Twenty one. The Department's Aerospace and Defence Directorate has received six further representations.

Door-to-door Selling

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will introduce legislation preventing door-to-door salespeople calling on households unannounced. [113402]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Office of Fair Trading is currently investigating the doorstep selling sector as a super complaint within the terms of the Enterprise Act 2002. Their report is expected later this year. Any recommendations will be carefully considered.

Export Licences

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what standard and open export licences were granted in respect of spare parts for Hawk aircraft in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002 and for which countries; what risk assessments were made to determine the risk of these exports being diverted or re-exported in contravention of arms export licensing criteria; and if she will make a statement. [112329]

Nigel Griffiths: Details of these were given in response to the question from the hon. Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt) on 26 October 2000, Official Report, columns 199–203, and in my letter dated 14 November to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Paul Farrelly), a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

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Franchises

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers she has to prevent two master franchises within the same trading scheme in the United Kingdom from using coercive attempts to press their franchisees with registering for VAT as a means of the master franchises obtaining an exemption under the provisions of the Trading Schemes Act 1996; and if she will make a statement. [113009]

Miss Melanie Johnson: There are no such powers under the Trading Schemes Act. Registration for VAT is a matter for Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

Inward Investment

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help she will give to Regional Development Agencies in England to increase inward investment. [112954]

Alan Johnson: As part of the RDAs 'Single Pot' funding in 2003–04, Invest.UK are providing £12.93 million.

Invest.UK plan to spend at least £7.2 million in 2003–04 to promote the UK to potential inward investors world-wide. Enquiries generated through this national promotional campaign play a pivotal role in supporting RDAs cluster development activities, helping RDAs deliver their regional economic strategies, and increasing inward investment to their regions.

Invest.UK has also led the development of a bespoke 'best practice' modular training package for the RDAs to assist them to increase the quality of their 'aftercare' service to inward investors.

Pharmacy

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the

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progress of the Government's response to the Office of Fair Trading report on the control of entry regulations and pharmacy services in the UK. [111586]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government made an interim response to the OFT's report on control of entry regulations for pharmacies on 26 March. The Government is considering the report and its recommendation further and will come forward with a balanced package of measures for consultation before the summer recess.

The regulations on pharmacy entry controls are devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the devolved administrations announced their responses to the OFT's recommendations on 26 March.

Photocopiers

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about sharp practices involving leasing agreements for office photocopiers; and if she will take steps to afford greater protection to consumers affected by such practices. [113174]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Office of Fair Trading is responsible for monitoring the behaviour of consumer hire companies licensed under the Consumer Credit Act and it has confirmed that few complaints have been received. No action is proposed at this time.

Regional Development Agencies

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list funding allocated (a) to each regional development agency, (b) to the London Development Agency and (c) in total in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2002–03 and (iii) 2003–04 (estimated). [113207]

Alan Johnson: Budget allocations, in £000s, to the Regional Development Agencies, including the London Development Agency, for 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 are given in the following table.

Regional Development Agency(3)2001–02(3)2002–03(4)2003–04
Advantage West Midlands170,850205,156216,026
East of England Development Agency62,59689,41381,299
East Midlands Development Agency97,439102,892127,211
North West Development Agency276,872274,855318,478
One North East162,671193,828219,256
South East of England Development Agency110,542115,034123,952
South West of England Regional Development Agency91,940101,958101,061
Yorkshire Forward246,267210,274243,287
London Development Agency289,141296,059291,239
Total1,508,3181,589,4691,721,809

(3) Budgets are net of receipts forecast to be generated by the Agencies and include changes approved during the financial year in respect of End Year Flexibility entitlement, claims on the Contingency Reserve and budget swaps between Agencies.

(4) Indicative allocations.


Trading Schemes

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which schemes in the United Kingdom which have two master franchises benefit from the single-tier exemption from the Trading Schemes Act 1996. [113046]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Information on individual schemes exempt from the Act is not held centrally.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

After-school Activities (Redbridge)

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what after-school activities are available in the London borough of Redbridge. [111740]

Mr. Miliband: Redbridge receives funding from my Department to provide after school study support opportunities for young people in the area: £284,859 this

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year through the Standards fund. We allow individual schools and local authorities the freedom to decide which activities best meet local needs. Study support can range from homework and study clubs to special-interest activities including the creative arts and ICT, and many of these take place after school.

Redbridge has also received two grants totalling £527,050 through the New Opportunities fund to provide out of school hours activities. The first grant targets approximately 10 schools in the Hainault and Loxford areas and the second has introduced activities into more than 15 other schools in the borough. Many of these activities take place after school, and include a Bollywood Dance Club, girls' football, and a zoology club.

Redbridge has, in addition, been awarded £795,343 by the New Opportunities fund for after-school childcare to date, and is on course to meet its DfES target of 1,387 places to be created before June 2003. It has also received an extra capital allocation of £22,000.

Child Care

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) nurseries, (b) playgroups, (c) child minders, (d) out-of-school clubs and (e) holiday schemes have been provided in Lancashire in each year since 1997. [112057]

Mr. Miliband: The available information for Lancashire Local Authority is shown in the tables.

Figures for 2001 and earlier years for England and Government Office regions were published in DfES Statistical Bulletin 08/01 "Children's Day Care Facilities at 31st March 2001", which is available in the Library and on the DfES website, www.dfes.qov.uk/statistics. Figures for 2001 for out of school clubs and holiday schemes have recently been revised and are shown in the tables.

Numbers of day care providers(5) by type of provider Lancashire Local Authority area 1999–2001
Position at 31 March each year

199920002001
Day nurseries230240270
Playgroups and pre-schools 290290280
Childminders1,5001,4001,400
Out of school clubs708090
Holiday schemes30(6)2020

(5) Figures have been rounded

(6) Includes those schemes exempt from registration


Numbers of day care places(7) by type of provider Lancashire Local Authority area 1999–2001
Position at 31 March each year

199920002001
Day nurseries8,8009,60010,900
Playgroups and pre-schools6,6006,6006,500
Childminders6,0005,8005,900
Out of school clubs1,6001,9002,200
Holiday schemes900(8)670640

(7) Figures have been rounded

(8) Includes those schemes exempt from registration


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