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Overseas Relocation

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives her Department has in place to discourage UK companies and businesses from locating facilities and services overseas. [115048]

Nigel Griffiths: We believe that the most effective way to discourage firms from moving abroad is to create the best environment for business success in the UK.

We assist firms in a variety of ways.

We provide practical advice and support to enable every company to be the best it can be. For example the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), launched last year, provides expert advice and consultancy to help companies drive up their value added. On average companies who have participated in MAS in-depth consultancy projects have seen added value of nearly £90,000 per year.

We support firms in the research and development activities that will keep them ahead of the competition. For example, an R&D tax credit for large and middle-sized companies was introduced this year to complement the tax credit for small and medium-sized companies introduced in budget 2000. In 2001–02, the first year for which figures are available, somewhere in the region of 3,000 small and medium-sized companies made claims under the tax credit scheme.

Each year we invest around £1 billion in support for the businesses that create Britain's wealth. We support the investment work of the regional development agencies for example through regional selective assistance through which we offer selective grants to firms investing in the assisted areas and creating or safeguarding jobs. In England in 2002–03, £934 million of business investment was secured as a result of 192 RSA grants totalling £108 million. This is expected to create over 10,000 new jobs and safeguard a further 9,000. Financial assistance to companies in Wales is a devolved matter for the National Assembly for Wales. Data on financial assistance given under the Industrial Development Act 1982, including regional selective assistance, is contained in the Annual Report to Parliament for 2002–03 which was laid on 26 June.

Public Utilities (Pensions)

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will take steps to prevent public utilities companies from passing on costs arising from their pension fund deficits to their customers; and if she will make a statement. [123199]

Mr. Sutcliffe: As with all other economic matters, the issue of cost pass-through to customers is for the independent economic regulators to determine.

Regional Selective Assistance

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Regional Selective Assistance. [122901]

Jacqui Smith: The Government is committed to ensuring that its resources are directed effectively to support viable investments in our poorest regions and Regional Selective Assistance forms part of that

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commitment. Regional Selective Assistance projects were last evaluated in 1998–2000, and the results of that evaluation are available on www.dti.gov.uk/support/rsajf2512001.htm

We expect to announce in the Autumn the DTF's new portfolio of Business Support products, including regional investment support.

Renewable Energy

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to develop regulatory arrangements to exploit the potential for renewable energy developments in Scotland consistent with (a) Ofgem's statutory objectives and (b) Transmission System Owners' licence obligations. [122574]

Mr. Timms: The British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (BETTA) are currently under development and the Government is committed to bringing forward legislation in time to implement BETTA in April 2005. BETTA will give all renewable generators in Scotland access to a GB wide market and will ensure that the costs of investment in the infrastructure in Scotland needed to meet our renewables targets can be spread across all GB users.

Ofgem have asked the Government to bring forward the legislation necessary to bring in BETTA because the new arrangements are in line with Ofgem's duties to protect the interests of customers by promoting competition where possible. BETTA will require changes to the licence obligations placed on the Transmission System Owners. All changes to these licences are being consulted on as part of the consultation process on BETTA.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on improvements to the National Grid as set out in the Transmission Issues Working Group Final Report; what discussions she has had with (a) Ofgem and (b) electricity transmission companies on (i) improvements to the National Grid and (ii) the delivery of renewable energy targets; and if she will make a statement. [122577]

Mr. Timms: It is clear that the transmission grid has to be modified and strengthened in order to accommodate the Government's renewable energy targets. The Transmission Issues Working Group final report has led to work commencing on the planning studies for measures required to increase the export of renewable energy from Scotland by upgrading the existing network infrastructure.

The Transmission Issues Working Group is still in existence and meets again shortly. It comprises of representatives from the DTI, Ofgem, National Grid Transco, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern. Its key areas of interest are the upgrade of the transmission grid to accommodate new renewable energy generation located in Scotland and off the coasts of England and Wales.

Trading Standards Officers (Under-age Sales)

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the work Trading Standards officers do to enforce regulations relating to the

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under-age sales of (a) alcohol, (b) fireworks, (c) spray paint, (d) air guns, (e) solvents, (f) cigarettes and (g) unclassified videos. [123615]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Within the terms of relevant legislation, Trading Standards Officers enforce the regulations in ways suited to local circumstances and priorities, working with other enforcement authorities, such as the police, where appropriate.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provision has been made by United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Afghan Transitional Authority to register returning refugees, internally displaced peoples and nomads for democratic elections scheduled to take place in 2004. [123028]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) is working closely with the Afghan Transitional Administration to develop a programme of voter registration. Plans are still being finalised but we understand from UNAMA that the national registration process will encompass Internally Displaced Peoples, returning refugees and nomads. The actual process of registration is scheduled to begin in August and run through the winter until March 2004. Subject to security constraints, rural areas, which are less accessible in winter, will be registered first followed then by urban areas.

British Overseas Territories

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which British overseas territories have not complied with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on criminalisation of sexual activity between men; and what action he will take to ensure compliance. [123500]

Mr. Rammell: None. Legislation decriminalising homosexual acts between consenting adults in private is in force in all British Overseas Territories.

Burma

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether EU sanctions against the Burmese junta will be linked to the atrocities committed by the regime against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people. [123346]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: When the EU Common Position on Burma was strengthened and updated in April 2003, the plight of the ethnic minorities were specifically mentioned in the EU Council Conclusions. Should the EU agree more sanctions against Burma, the Government would ensure that the plight of Burma's ethnic minority groups was fully taken into account.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of human rights abuses committed by the Burmese military junta against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people. [123730]

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Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 July 2003]: Regrettably, we have not seen any substantive improvement in the overall human rights situation in Burma. The Karen, Karenni and Shan have suffered disproportionately. While the military authorities have allowed a delegation from Amnesty International to visit Burma, this has not led to an improvement in the human rights situation. I am especially concerned about the situation in light of recent arrests and detentions in Burma. We will continue to press bilaterally with the Burmese regime and in international fora for a rapid improvement in the situation.

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