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14 Oct 2003 : Column 139W—continued

Water Abstraction

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what factors underlay the proposal of the Environment Agency to reduce the number of water abstractions in the South East; what assessment she has made of the effect on water supplies in the South East of this proposal; and if she will make a statement. [131499]

Mr. Morley: Proposals to reduce abstraction in the South East are aimed at improving the environment at important wildlife sites that are presently being damaged or are threatened with being damaged by abstraction.

Water companies have been given the proposed list of sites and have been asked to identify the solutions that they would have to implement to make these environmental improvements.

The Office of Water Services and the Environment Agency are scrutinising the companies' plans and I have asked them to report to me in November. From their reports I will identify the environmental improvement schemes that should be included in companies' final business plans for 2005–10, due in April 2004. Throughout this process, security of water supply to customers is paramount and the timing of any changes to abstraction will be arranged so that there is no risk to public water supply.

Mercury Emissions

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has made an assessment of the health benefits of reducing mercury emission from crematoria, using the methodology developed for assessing the health benefits of the National Air Quality Strategy. [131760]

Mr. Bradshaw: The methodology for the Air Quality Strategy is aimed at assessing the health impacts for pollutants where inhalation is the main route of exposure. It is not appropriate to use this methodology in this case because exposure through inhalation is negligable.

Crematoria are a source of inorganic mercury. This is associated with tremors, gingivitis and/or minor psychological changes, together with spontaneous abortion and congenital malformation.

Concern arises from the fact that this inorganic mercury can be transported over long distances and be transformed to methyl mercury in the bottom sediments of aquatic ecosystems. Methyl mercury can cause damage to the brain, kidneys and the central nervous system; as it readily crosses the placental barrier, foetal brain levels are approximately 5–7 times higher than in maternal blood. Foetal and postnatal exposures have given rise to abortion, congenital malformation and development changes in young children, with toxic effects in infants even when absent in the mother.

The UK's long-standing policy approach is therefore to minimise, wherever practicable, the amounts of mercury entering the environment from all human activities. We have been discussing with the crematoria sector how they might mitigate any impacts.

14 Oct 2003 : Column 140W

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Liquid Petroleum Gas

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the investment in the last five years in the UK economy generated by suppliers and distributors of (a) automotive LPG and LPG vehicles, (b) CNG and CNG vehicles, (c) LNG and LNG vehicles and (d) hydrogen and hydrogen vehicles. [131688]

Mr. Timms: The best estimates are:

(a) For LPG £250 million (being £200 million for vehicles and £50 million for fuel),


(b) and (c) For CNG and LNG combined £50 million, and:


(d) Estimates are not available for this technology which is in its infancy.

South Sefton Partnership

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken by the South Sefton Partnership to improve support for businesses. [128880]

Jacqui Smith: This is one of South Sefton Partnership's four key objectives. The Partnership has recently prepared a small booklet, "South Sefton Partnership—The Story So Far", which aims to illustrate steps taken to date on these four key objectives.

The steps taken in respect of this objective are as follows:

developing the South Sefton Investment Centre project, which will provide much-needed managed workspace for small businesses and generating income for community projects beyond the lifetime of the Partnership;


creating the South Sefton Small Firms Loan Fund, a seedcorn finance scheme run through Merseyside Special Investment Fund;


launching two grant schemes for local companies. Gateway to Growth supports investment in capital equipment and Improve Your Lot supports improvements to sites and premises;


funding a major study into the redevelopment of Bootle town centre with the aim of attracting investment and jobs to South Sefton and supporting the first phase of the improvement work;


supporting an important study into the regeneration of Crosby Marina, creating anew watersports and visitor centre;


funding a project providing grant assistance to small retail businesses to enable them to improve the security of their premises;


funding the new post of Business Liaison Officer to promote the further development of the South Sefton Business Forum and the Partnership funded grant schemes; and


funding the demolition and clearance of the former Secrets nightclub in Litherland to create a site for possible future use for housing.

British Energy

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost will be to the taxpayer of the credit facility made available to British Energy. [132143]

Mr. Timms: A credit facility (currently £200 million) has been made available to BE which will be repaid by the company under the terms of the restructuring plan at no cost to the taxpayer.

14 Oct 2003 : Column 141W

Full details of the credit facility agreement are commercially confidential under Exemption 13: Third Party's Commercial Confidences of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information unless and until it is made public by British Energy.

Broadband

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will press BT to decrease the threshold numbers required for the instalment of Broadband in rural areas. [131780]

Mr. Timms: Decisions about whether to reduce further the threshold numbers for activating exchanges are a matter for BT. The Government welcomes the reductions that have already been announced in recent months.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list those areas in the Lewes constituency capable of accessing broadband; to which areas there are plans to extend such a capability; and on what dates. [131827]

Mr. Timms: This information is not currently held centrally within Government.

However, BT's website (www.bt.com) includes a list of exchanges in the Lewes and the South East region showing which exchanges are already enabled for Broadband or are planned to be enabled with ready for service dates, which have trigger levels set and which do not.

The local Regional Development Agency—South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA), have recently invited tenders for their Coastal Superhighway Programme. As a result of this programme, a new internet point of presence from a fibre optic network will be built in Lewes, which should improve the availability of broadband services in Lewes, by reducing the cost of backhaul and stimulating competition.

In addition, any enterprises in the Lewes area and indeed the whole of the South East region, which cannot receive broadband from BT or from any other telecom or cable companies, may apply for a SEEDA satellite grant (http://www.rabbit-broadband.org.uk/)of up to £700, which covers an installation fee to contribute for the cost of a satellite broadband service.

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the proportion of the population in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex, (d) Cambridgeshire and (e) the UK who are unable to access broadband. [131839]

Mr. Timms: The latest available data (June 2003) forecasts that, in October 2003, the proportions of the population who are unable to access broadband are:

	Percentage
(a) Suffolk	53
(b) Norfolk	57
(c) Essex	23
(d) Cambridgeshire	45
(e) UK	(34)20

⁽³⁴⁾ all broadband technologies

Note:

The data for figures a-d is only available for ADSL broadband

14 Oct 2003 : Column 142W

The recent East of England Development Agency 'Connecting Communities Competition' has introduced significant use of wireless solutions and should significantly improve broadband access in the region.

Carpets International

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she has taken to assist Carpets International (UK) Ltd. since it went into receivership; and if she will make a statement. [130399]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Under the insolvency previsions of the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Redundancy Payments Directorate may pay certain guaranteed debts (within limits) if the employer is legally insolvent within the meaning of that Act. Any outstanding contractual debts owed to employees' remain listed in the insolvency as unsecured debts. The Edinburgh Redundancy Payments office has received and paid redundancy and other insolvency claims for all the employees (over 400) who worked at the Bradford Hartlepool and Hull establishments. The Gwent establishment is still trading with a view to selling that part of the business.

The Employment Services (ES) Rapid Response Unit—a flexible service, tailored to the needs of the particular area, sector and company—was notified and is liaising with local partners such as the Regional Development Agency, the Local Learning and Skills Council, the Local Authority, Chamber of Commerce, to take any appropriate measures to assist or retrain the employees in question. For example, the ES offers access to a range of support schemes, from the New Deal and the Jobseekers Allowance through to more focused schemes designed to help those caught up in restructuring. It provides information on job searching, compiling CVs, further education and training for individuals who need to develop new skills, and benefits.

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