| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Nov 2003 : Column 32W—continued
Trade Links
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to set up trading links that would benefit third world countries in Africa. [135507]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Africa faces many challenges. Nearly half of the 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1 dollar a day. The United Nations estimates that over 14 million people in the region will be dependent on food aid by March 2003.
Since September 2001 the UK government has committed over £80 million to humanitarian assistance and recovery programmes in Southern Africa. But aid also is not the answer.
We also provide assistance to British companies wishing to trade with Africa through services available from UK Trade and Investment and our network of posts in the region. We also support events in Africa designed to enable UK companies to assess the prospects for trade and investment in African countries.
This is why we are working hard, with our EU colleagues, to deliver a development round in line with the promises made at Doha. All countries will benefit, but the poorest stand to gain the most.
Unmanned Air Vehicles
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which UK companies produce (a) unmanned air vehicles and (b) components for unmanned air vehicles; and if she will make a statement. [136933]
Jacqui Smith: There are a wide number companies engaged in the development, production and support of un-manned air vehicles (UAVs) and their components in the UK. This Department does not however maintain an exhaustive listing of such companies. Such data is readily available through commercial sources.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had in 2003 with UK companies interested in participating in future
10 Nov 2003 : Column 33W
bidding processes for US requirement contracts for unmanned air vehicle projects; and if she will make a statement. [136934]
Jacqui Smith: I have had no specific discussions with UK companies in relation to the bidding process for the US requirement contracts for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). UK Trade and Investment did however support, through the outward missions scheme, in May of this year a Society of British Aerospace Companies (SB AC) industry mission to the US and this included UAV technology within its remit. The lead on UK defence export activities is the responsibility of MoD's Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO).
TREASURY
Cross-border Payments
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of compliance by banks in the United Kingdom with the Cross-Border Payments Regulation adopted by the United Kingdom on 1 July 2002. [136660]
Ruth Kelly: The Cross-Border Payments in Euro Regulations 2003 provide for civil proceedings and create criminal offences for breaches of the Regulation on cross-border payments in euro. The Association for Payment Clearing Services has produced compliance guidelines for the banking industry. My officials will contribute to the report on the impact of the Regulation which the European Commission is required to produce by 1 July 2004.
Advisers and Consultants
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) HM Treasury, (b) Customs and Excise and (c) the Inland Revenue spent on (i) advisers and (ii) consultants in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement. [134223]
Ruth Kelly: HM Treasury expenditure in 2002–03 on consultants was £2.8 million (excluding VAT). Inland Revenue had in place four framework agreements, through which it obtained a range of advisory and consultancy services including on IT, human resources, market research, social and economic research, and learning services. Departmental spend on these services for 2002–03 was in the region of £35 million (excluding VAT). Customs and Excise expenditure for consultants and advisors was £29.3 million (excluding VAT).
Banking Ombudsman
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases were considered by the Banking Ombudsman in the last year for which figures are available; how many cases were (a) upheld and (b) rejected; what was the average time taken to consider cases; and what the average cost was per case. [137193]
Ruth Kelly: The Financial Ombudsman Service tell me that in the financial year ending 31 March 2000, the Office of the Banking Ombudsman received a total of 4,375 cases.
10 Nov 2003 : Column 34W
The table shows a breakdown of the outcome of all cases resolved during the period:
| Outcome of cases | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Resolved by mediation or conciliation | 66 |
| Resolved after investigation by an adjudicator | 20 |
| Of which: | |
| In favour of the consumer | 50 |
| In favour of the firm | 50 |
| Resolved by final decision of an ombudsman | 14 |
| Of which: | |
| In favour of the consumer | 50 |
| In favour of the firm | 50 |
The average time taken to resolve cases in the year ending 31 March 2000 was 162 days.
The unit cost per case (calculated by dividing the total expenditure—less financing costs by the number of cases closed) for the year ending 31 March 2000 was £730, the average unit cost per cases across all of the predecessor schemes.
Creative Industries/Tourism
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of (a) the United Kingdom's and (b) London's GDP was generated by (i) creative tourism and (ii) the tourism industry in 2002–03. [135835]
Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
(i) The term 'creative tourism' is not recognised.
(ii) (a) Tourism was estimated to have accounted for 4.4 per cent. of UK GDP in 2002.
(b) The Greater London Authority is currently leading a review of methodologies used to estimate London's tourism GDP in order to produce an agreed estimate.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of gross domestic product was generated by the tourism industry in (a) the south east, (b) the south west, (c) the west Midlands, (d) the east Midlands, (e) the north west, (f) the north east and (g) Wales in 2002–03. [135837]
Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
(a)-(f) Reliable estimates of tourism GDP are not currently available for the English Regions. There is one exception, namely the north east. The report Tourism Impact—A pilot study for the North East estimated tourism to account for 3.5 per cent. of the north-east's GDP in 2000.
Plans for a Tourism Satellite Account project for the English regions are currently being considered. This will develop methodologies to calculate tourism figures, including GDP. It is being conducted on behalf of, and being jointly funded by, all Regional Development Agencies in England, and it is anticipated that it will report in late 2004.
(g) Currently there are no official data available on the contribution of the tourist industry to Welsh GDP. The National Assembly for Wales is involved
10 Nov 2003 : Column 35W
in Tourism Satellite Account development work, including a UK development project which is being co-ordinated by the Department, and which will report in Summer 2004.
Economy (York)
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual per capita GDP for York unitary authority area was in each year since 1995. [135948]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 10 November 2003:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on annual per capita GDP for York unitary authority. I am replying in his absence. (135948)
- The latest available data on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for York unitary authority were published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in April 2001 and relate to the period up to 1998 and the area of York on the "NUTS3" area classification.
- ONS published estimates of Gross Value Added (GVA) for the larger "NUTS2" area of North Yorkshire, of which York is a part, for the period 1995 to 2001, in October 2003. Both sets of estimates are shown in the table.
| GDP per head in York | GVA per head North Yorkshire | |
|---|---|---|
| (NUTS3 area) | (NUTS2 area) | |
| 1995 | 11,750 | *10,077 |
| 1996 | 12,565 | *10,622 |
| 1997 | 13,742 | 11,192 |
| 1998 | 14,305 | 11,719 |
| 1999 | — | 12,119 |
| 2000 | — | 12,585 |
| 2001 | — | 13,031 |
Notes:
1. All estimates are provisional except where indicated with an asterisk.
2. Estimates of workplace based GVA allocate income to the region in which commuters work.
3. GVA estimates are calculated using a five-period moving average.
4. GDP = GVA + taxes on products—subsidies on products.
Estimates of NUTS3 GVA, including for York, for the period 1995–01 are planned for publication by ONS in December 2003.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |