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18 Dec 2003 : Column 1048W—continued
Oil-fired Appliances
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland which undertake (i) installation and (ii) maintenance of oil-fired domestic central heating systems are registered with the Oil Firing Technical Association. [143070]
Ms Hewitt: There are many companies within the UK which undertake installation and maintenance of oil-fired central heating systems registered with the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) and I would refer my colleague to OFTECs own website—http://www.oftcc.org/—which gives access to a comprehensive list of these companies.
Personnel Administration
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will provide the information referred to in her answer to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham of 18 September, Official Report, column 880W, on personnel administration. [144159]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 16 December 2003]: I have nothing to add to the letter which my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Small Business and Enterprise sent the hon. Member on 30 September.
Post Offices
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the proposed closure of the post office at 69–71 City Way, Rochester, Kent. [143561]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 17 December 2003]: Decisions on post office closures and relocations are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. In accordance with the Code of Practice on Post Office Closures and Relocations—agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services—the company enters into consultation on all proposed closures.
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Postwatch are consulted on every post office closure proposal before a decision is made and there is every opportunity for those affected by a proposal, and the local MP, to make representations to the company or to Postwatch.
Pre-Budget Report
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are contained in the pre-Budget report to encourage investment in the (a) manufacturing and (b) service sector. [143424]
Ms Hewitt: The pre-Budget report contained a number of measures and announcements that will encourage investment across the manufacturing and service sectors :
- Doubling the amount of investment qualifying for the 40 per cent. plant and machinery first year allowances and a £400 million cash flow boost to smaller businesses over the next three years. Resulting from the increase in Company Law thresholds for small and medium-sized businesses in line with the new EU maxima;
A new, clearer and more accessible R&D tax credit definition and extension of the scope of qualifying costs, to further promote the development of science and innovation;
Reform of the way public sector engages with suppliers to provide greater clarity and certainty. Alan Wood of Siemens will be reviewing how we can improve the ability of UK firms to compete for public procurement contracts in the EU;
Reforms to reduce the regulatory burden on enterprise;
An extension of Employer Training Pilots for a third year to cover over a third of England;
Measures to support fast growing innovative firms by reducing barriers to raising finance for small business, including a pathfinder round of Enterprise Capital Funds and proposed enhancements to Venture Capital Trusts and the Enterprise Investment Scheme;
Launching an independent review of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme, to ensure its effectiveness;
Measures to support regional growth, including details of the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme, which will boost the role of local authorities in business growth, and, in Enterprise Areas, a Business Premises Renovation Allowance;
Measures to promote a step change in the UK's enterprise culture, including supporting a national campaign by Enterprise Insight;
Improvements to the VAT flat-rate scheme, including new lower rates, to ensure more businesses can benefit fully from compliance savings.
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 11 December 2003]: The pre-Budget report contained a number of measures that will encourage private sector investment including:
- Reforms to reduce the regulatory burden on enterprise;
Measures to overcome barriers to raising finance for small business, including a pathfinder round of Enterprise Capital Funds and proposed enhancements to Venture Capital Trusts and the Enterprise Investment Scheme;
A new, clearer and more accessible R&D tax credit definition and extension of the scope of qualifying costs, to further promote the development of science and innovation;
An extension of Employer Training Pilots for a third year to cover over a third of England.
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- Launching an independent review of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee, to ensure its effectiveness;
Consulting on the most appropriate structure for a tax transparent property investment trust, as recommended in the interim report of the Barker Review.
Regional Development Agencies
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding allocations have been made by each of the regional development agencies for the promotion of (a) tourism and (b) the arts in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05; and if she will make a statement. [144671]
Jacqui Smith: I am advised that the following sums have been allocated by England's Regional Development Agencies from their single programme budgets to the promotion of tourism and the arts in the specified years. However, the figures should be treated as estimates because there is no generally accepted definition of the arts and because they will not include projects funded by the RDAs, such as regeneration activity, where tourism or arts are fundamental to the project but are not the main consideration. Furthermore, as the RDAs do not have a specific responsibility to promote the arts, some RDAs do not record spend against a dedicated budget heading. Proposals for RDA funding to promote tourism and the arts are considered against the priorities set out in the region's Regional Economic Strategy.
| 2003–04 | 2004–05 | |
|---|---|---|
| AWM | 5.80 | 6.33 |
| EEDA | 2.50 | 3.29 |
| EMDA | (4)1.55 | (4)2.43 |
| LDA | (5)19.44 | (6)20.65 |
| NWDA | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| ONE | 8.42 | 13.17 |
| SEEDA | 1.20 | 1.20 |
| SWRDA | 14.00 | 14.00 |
| YF | 4.02 | 1.32 |
(4) EMDA spend on the promotion of tourism and the arts is recorded against a single budget heading.
(5) LDA Single Programme and £15 million allocated to London's Tourism Recovery Plan and £1.85 million of DCMS grant from the GLA.
(6) LDA Single Programme plus £1.85 million of DCMS grant from the GLA.
| 2003–04 | 2004–05 | |
|---|---|---|
| AWM | 0.73 | 0.54 |
| EEDA | 1.40 | 0.82 |
| EMDA | Not available(7) | Not available(7) |
| LDA | 10.20 | (8)10.00 |
| NWDA | Not available(9) | Not available(9) |
| ONE | 3.89 | 4.59 |
| SEEDA | (10)10.00 | Not yet available |
| SWRDA | 2.60 | 3.00 |
| YF | (11)1.19 | (11)1.04 |
(7) EMDA spend on the promotion of tourism and the arts is recorded as a single budget heading.
(8) Provisional figure from the Mayor's budget proposal.
(9) NWDA does not have a specific budget for the promotion of the arts.
(10) SEEDA does not have a specific budget for the promotion of the arts and the figure covers support to the whole of the cultural sector.
(11) In line with the principles of the Single Pot, YF does not have specific budgets for the promotion of tourism and the arts. The figures provided relate to some of the notable projects supported.
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Second Charge Life Mortgages
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions she has had with consumer groups about whether second charge life mortgages should continue to be regulated via the Consumer Credit Act 1974; [144337]
- (2) what plans she has to regulate the sale of second charge life mortgages over £25,000. [144338]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department have had no discussions with consumer groups about whether second charge life mortgages should continue to be regulated via the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
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However, my Department have had a number of discussions with key stakeholders—business, consumer groups and enforcement agencies, regarding the removal of the £25,000 financial limit for consumer borrowing. This will ensure that in the case of second charge mortgages, all consumer borrowing will be captured by the Consumer Credit Act.
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