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10 Feb 2004 : Column 1361W—continued
Information Technology
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent in each of the last five years on promoting internet use among micro and small businesses. [153572]
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Mr. Timms: Through the Information Society Initiative and its successor the UK online for business programme, the Government has spent the following on promoting the use of the Internet and ICT:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 10.1 |
| 2000–01 | 13.9 |
| 2001–02 | 15.1 |
| 2002–03 | 13.1 |
| 2003–04 | (15)7 |
(15) Forecast outturn.
Internet Shopping
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's support for the Internet Shopping Is Safe campaign; and what assessment she has made of the campaign's contribution to consumer confidence in e-commerce. [152944]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government have been pleased to lend their support to the Interactive Media in Retail Group's (IMRG) Internet Shopping Is Safe Campaign on past occasions.
The Government welcome private sector initiatives to promote e-commerce. Business has an important role to play in spreading good practice and in raising consumer awareness about safe internet use.
My Department has made no assessment of the impact of the IMRG campaign on consumer confidence in e-commerce.
The Government are continuing their efforts to improve consumers' access to better information about online shopping through their Safe Internet Shopping initiative.
Labour Disputes
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the average cost of working days lost due to labour disputes in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector for each year between 1995 and 2003; and if she will make a statement. [151712]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 29 January 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 2 February 2004, Official Report, columns 635–36W.
Manufacturing Advisory Service
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Manufacturing Advisory Service; and whether her Department will continue to fund this service in future years. [153433]
Jacqui Smith: I receive regular reports on the performance of the Manufacturing Advisory Service. These highlight the great success that the service has achieved as a source of practical advice and support to manufacturers in England and Wales since its launch in April 2002. More than 5,400 companies have benefited from initial diagnostic visits by the service's expert
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advisers; of these, over 1,100 have gone on to undertake in-depth projects, resulting in productivity improvements averaging 38 per cent. and an annualised added value benefit approaching £38 million.
The Department's funding for the Manufacturing Advisory Service, which is at least matched by the English Regional Development Agencies and the Welsh Development Agency, will amount to £4.7 million in 2003–04 and £3.4 million in 2004–05. We are in the process of discussing with the Regional Development Agencies how the service will be funded in future years.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much imported nuclear waste has been dealt with by NIREX; what revenue NIREX has received for dealing with that waste; and if she will make a statement. [153373]
Mr. Timms: None. The UK does not allow the import of radioactive waste, and Nirex has no role in handling spent nuclear fuel from overseas.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the costs that will be incurred as a result of her plans for intermediate level waste substitution. [153560]
Mr. Timms: The costs associated with ILW substitution are dealt with in the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Appendix 2 of the Consultation document, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much additional nuclear waste she estimates will be stored in the United Kingdom as a result of her plans for intermediate level waste substitution. [153561]
Mr. Timms: The NAC International report estimates that the volume of overseas intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) retained in the UK as a result of ILW substitution would be about 1.4 per cent. of the UK's total ILW. This amounts to approximately 3,000m 3 . This would be partially offset by a reduction in high level waste that would otherwise be retained in the UK of about 50m 3 .
Overseas Projects Fund
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the companies which have received support from the Overseas Projects Fund since 1997, stating in each instance (a) the amount received by each company and (b) the project for which the support was provided. [151515]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Overseas Projects Fund (OPF) Scheme closed to new applications on 7 July 2003. The scheme provides financial assistance towards the pre-contractual costs incurred by British companies when pursuing major overseas projects. It does not provide finance for the project involved. Since 1 January 1997, 100 companies have received OPF funding of
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£21 million in respect of 154 projects. Disclosure of individual OPF awards to companies could compromise their efforts to win overseas business. (Exemptions 13 and 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information apply—third party confidentiality and information given in confidence).
Printer Cartridge Remanufacturing Industry
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether she has met representatives from the printer cartridge remanufacturing industry to discuss the scope of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. [153196]
Mr. Timms: DTI Ministers have not received any requests for meetings with representatives of the printer cartridge remanufacturing industry.
Productivity
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of enterprise areas on (a) the overall productivity of UK businesses and (b) reducing disparities in regional productivity. [153575]
Jacqui Smith: Enterprise areas were announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2002 pre-Budget report. A range of policy measures, some of which are currently still under development or subject to new legislation, will benefit enterprise areas. It is too early for an assessment of the contribution of these measures to economic regeneration or productivity to have been made.
Wind Turbines
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effects of low frequency noise from wind turbines on human health; and if she will make a statement. [153742]
Mr. Timms: Currently planning authorities take into account the recommendations and methodologies for the measurement of noise in the case of wind farms, as set out in the report "ETSU-R-97: The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms".
The methodologies applied during the planning application stage to satisfy authorities that noise emission levels will fall within accepted levels do not include the measurement of infrasound as we are not aware of any scientifically validated evidence that infrasound emitted from wind turbines affects human health.
Project Funding
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been provided by her Department to help finance (a) the Rethinking Construction Initiative, (b) the Sustainable Technologies Initiative, (c) the UK Online for Business Initiative, (d) the Waste and Resource Action Programme, (e) the Euroim II Initiative, (f) the Feasibility Studies Initiative for SMES, (g) the Local Partnership Fund and (h) the Technology Partnership Initiative in each financial year since the inception of each; what funding has been
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allocated to finance each in future financial years; and if she will estimate the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative to date. [149447]
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Ms Hewitt: The following table shows the level of funding provided to 2002–03 and the projected spend in future years.
| Rethinking Construction Initiative (a) | Sustainable Technologies Initiative | UK Online for Business (c) | WRAP (d) | EUROIM II | Local Business Partnership Fund (e) | Technology Partnership Initiative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | n/a | 132 | — | — | — | — | 350 |
| 2000–01 | n/a | 213 | 13,900 | — | 18 | — | 500 |
| 2001–02 | 1,494 | 312 | 15,100 | 650 | 49 | 23 | 500 |
| 2002–03 | 1,696 | 821 | 13,100 | 5,000 | 20 | 259 | 500 |
| 2003–04 | 1,723 | 1,170 | 7,000 | 5,000 | 65 | 314 | 450 |
| 2004–05 | — | 2,107 | — | n/a | 38 | — | — |
| 2005–06 | — | 1,554 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | — | 1,354 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | — | (b)l,786 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Notes:
1. Funded by former DETR 1998 to June 2001. These data are not readily available.
2. Shows funding in years 2007–08 and 2008–09.
3. UK online for business was established in September 2000 as a successor programme to the Information Society Initiative.
4. Expenditure in 2000–01 includes the period April to August 2000, when the ISI was still in force.
5. Funding for 2004–05 will be announced shortly.
6. The Local Partnership Fund is not a DTI scheme. Expenditure figures have been provided for the Local Business Partnership Fund.
7. Some historic expenditure data have been omitted from this reply due to the disproportionate cost of providing it.
8. Forecast expenditure reflects outstanding legal commitments.
Benefits to business: (a) Rethinking Construction Initiative In the four years to 2003 projects involved in the demonstration projects programme (worth £7 billion) have achieved:
- cost savings of 6 per cent. compared to the industry average, equating to £420 million;
a 61 per cent. lower accident rate than the industry average, projected as a £360 million cost saving; and
2 per cent. higher profits than the industry average, equating to £140 million. (b) Sustainable Technologies Initiative The Sustainable Technologies Initiative supports collaborative research and technological development to improve the sustainable economic growth of UK business. (c) UK Online for Business UK online for business programme has helped several hundred thousand businesses, with over 250,000 interactions per year. The programme has provided advice, publications, tools, case studies and research to help companies understand and adopt e-business. A recent survey showed high levels of customer satisfaction: 89 per cent. of customers using the help desk facility said they would use the service again, and 87 per cent. using the call centre said they would use the service again. Satisfaction levels with UK online for business publications were also high at 86 per cent. (d) Waste and Resources Action Programme Numerous businesses have benefited from receiving advice and financial support from WRAP. Further details can be obtained from the WRAP Annual Report and Accounts, which are available at: www.wrap.org.uk (e) Euroim II EUROIM II helps businesses in the industrial minerals sector to find partners and prepare proposals for research and development support from EU programmes. (f) Feasibility Studies Initiative for SMEs This is not a specific DTI initiative, although feasibility studies are a key feature of the new Grant For Investigating An Innovative Idea. (g) Local Partnership Fund The Local Partnership Fund is not a DTI scheme. DTI supports Local Business Partnerships through the Local Business Partnership Fund. This aims to develop a culture of education and dialogue with enforcers, and reduce the cost to business of implementing regulation by helping businesses to understand their responsibilities and making it easier for them to comply. (h) Technology Partnership Initiative The Technology Partnership Initiative promotes the UK environmental technology and services sector overseas and is a means of introducing UK companies to international markets.
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