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Regeneration (Liverpool)

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding was allocated for regeneration in Liverpool in each of the last six years; and how much funding he expects will be allocated in the 2003–04 financial year. [131295]

Yvette Cooper: Liverpool has received funding allocations from the following regeneration programmes (all sums rounded to £000).

Project	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Single Regeneration Budget	8,424	12,786	15,480	12,692	13,500	2,271	848
Community Empowerment Fund	0	0	0	0	261	261	261
Community Chest	0	0	0	0	332	499	917
Community Learning Chest	0	0	0	0	0	133	199
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund	0	0	0	0	10,100	15,100	20,134
Neighbourhood Wardens	0	0	0	57	127	457	451
Estates Renewal Challenge Fund	3,800	7,784	23,828	17,960	0	0	0
ERDF	42,502	31,396	65,406	0	24,080	29,678	0
New Deal for Communities	0	50	200	1,062	4,171	5,668	5,014
Housing Action Trust	20,800	25,000	21,500	17,800	20,600	33,310	33,150

Note:European Regional Development Fund, the funding allocation is calculated by calendar year, figures for 2003–04 are not available.

Liverpool has also benefited during this period from City Challenge as well as the Estate Action and Merseyside Development Corporation programmes. It has not been possible to obtain information for these programmes in the available time.

Social Housing

Mr. Best: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government is taking to assist in increasing the provision of social housing in Leeds North West. [132232]

Keith Hill: The Sustainable Communities plan, published earlier this year, set out our plans for increasing investment in housing up to 2005–06. It also identified the actions that we will take to improve the availability and quality of social housing, including the establishment of Regional Housing Boards with responsibility for the production of Regional Housing Strategies and to advise Ministers on the allocation of resources to meet regional priorities.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently considering the Regional Housing Strategy for Yorkshire and the Humber, and its accompanying

15 Oct 2003 : Column 279W

Investment Framework, and hope to make an announcement later this month. The provision of sufficient new homes, creating mixed income and sustainable communities is one of its objectives. This is reflected in the Investment Framework, which in addition to meeting Housing Corporation commitments and pre-allocations, proposes commissioning a £51 million two-year programme from the Housing Corporation, in which one of the priorities is affordable housing in the 'Golden Triangle' of Leeds, Harrogate and York. There is also a further £10 million for the board to commission 'transformational proposals' relating to all the strategy priorities in 2005–06 from sub-regional partnerships.

Teacher Salaries

Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he last assessed the level of teacher salaries paid by local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [131369]

Mr. Miliband: I have been asked to reply.

The salaries of school teachers, including those of unattached teachers, are set in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document, following the recommendations of the independent School Teachers' Review Body (STRB). It is for LEAs to determine which provisions of the document should apply to unattached teachers. The STRB is currently considering a range of evidence on unattached teachers.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Small Businesses

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses. [131298]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 14 October 2003]: The number of regulations passed by Parliament has fallen by nearly 800, we have cut form-filling and red tape for 700,000 small businesses with the new flat rate VAT scheme; we have abolished automatic penalties for late filing of VAT and we now have the best VAT threshold in Europe for business.

The recent OECD review of EU countries shows the UK has almost the lowest administration cost and few regulations for entrepreneurs than any other EU country.

We are seeking further improvements through Regulatory Impact Assessments, 'Think Small First' and Small Business Europe which promotes better regulation.

Alsthom

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to the (a) French authorities and (b) European Commission on French state aids in the case of Alsthom. [131968]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 14 October 2003]: None. The European Commission has announced that it is launching a formal investigation into France's

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proposals. The Commission will in due course provide member states arid third parties with an opportunity to comment. We will consider the position further when the Commission has published full details.

Coal-fired Power Stations

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what load factor each coal-fired power station operated in each year from 1997 to 2003. [132403]

Mr. Timms: Information for each power station is not readily available. In total coal fired power stations in the United Kingdom owned by major power producers together operated at the following load factors:

	Percentage
1997	48.8
1998	50.6
1999	43.8
2000	50.8
2001	55.9
2002	55.9

Source:

Calculated from figures given in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2003

Customs and Excise

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been recovered by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise over the last six years for the costs associated with seizing and storing imported goods for inspection (a) from importers subsequently found to be legitimately importing genuine goods and (b) from businesses which are subsequently found to be importing counterfeit and illegal goods. [129387]

John Healey: I have been asked to reply. Customs have not recovered any money in either case. However, the relevant port authorities may levy such charges.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much debt owing to the UK has been written-off by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in the last five years; and if she will list the countries for which the written-off debt was due, and the amounts written off for each country. [130912]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: During the period from 1 April 1998 to 31 August 2003, ECGD has written off a total of £848 million debt. The amounts written off are broken down by financial year and by market in the following table.

15 Oct 2003 : Column 281W

Amounts written off by ECGD last five financial years plus current financial year to 31 August 2003£

Market	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	Total
Bolivia	6,160,137	0	0	11,671,383	0	0	17,831,520
Bosnia and Herzegovina	3,021,121	0	0	0	0	0	3,021,121
Burkina Faso	0	0	0	0	1,851,737	0	1,851,737
Cameroon	5,189,345	6,046,275	7,387,463	8,761,599	8,202,179	3,542,446	39,129,307
Central African Republic	172,072	28,157	27,651	13,429	0	0	241 ,309
Côte d'Ivoire	2,445,306	0	0	0	9,873,984	553,721	12,873,011
Democratic Republic of Congo	0	0	0	0	113,037,774	947,807	113,985,581
Ethiopia	0	287,854	532,481	213,245	125,638	66,185	1,225,403
Ghana	0	0	0	0	27,496,319	3,703,403	31,199,722
Guinea	0	0	707,668	1,106,413	772,224	255,998	2,842,303
Guyana	0	11,915,740	0	0	0	0	11,915,740
Madagascar	0	0	523,114	1,254,431	1,126,626	219,756	3,123,927
Malawi	0	0	0	90,920	84,559	40,543	216,022
Mali	0	0	0	0	4,215,974	0	4,215,974
Mauritania	54,307	763,553	545,964	523,831	5,305,546	0	7,193,201
Mozambique	5,692,529	13,484,210	0	71,538,564	0	0	90,715,303
Nicaragua	0	0	0	156,212	105,515	23,812	285,539
Niger	386,665	192,552	1,170,852	1,203,292	1,084,263	532,403	4,570,027
Senegal	1,528,862	0	26,253	39,523	48,681	28,049	1,671,368
Serbia and Montenegro	0	0	0	270,067,645	0	0	270,067,645
Sierra Leone	0	0	0	225,022	44,805	6,275	276,102
Tanzania	5,126,063	4,477,751	17,525,512	92,700,686	19,167	0	119,849,179
Togo	81,421	0	0	0	0	0	81,421
Uganda	0	0	5,724,537	0	0	0	5,724,537
Zambia	0	21,863,232	16,790,093	28,654,900	27,384,399	9,518,120	104,210,744
Totals	29,857,828	59,059,324	50,961,588	488,221,095	200,779,390	19,438,518	848,317,743

All of the recipients of the debt reduction, with the exception of Serbia and Montenegro, have received the debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.

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