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23 Feb 2004 : Column 54W—continued
Vehicle Insurance/Taxation
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a requirement for drivers to display proof of insurance on their vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [155006]
Mr. Jamieson: The Government are determined to take effective action to tackle the problem of uninsured driving. With that in mind we commissioned, last August, an independent review of motor insurance with uninsured driving as a key focus. The reviewer, Professor David Greenaway of Nottingham University, is expected to report in April. The Government will be taking a close interest in his recommendations and take appropriate action on them as soon as practicable.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Iraqi Oil
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which body is responsible for monitoring the volume and price of Iraqi oil exports; and if she will make a statement. [154549]
Mr. Timms: UNSCR 1483 charges the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) with, inter alia, auditing the sale of Iraqi oil.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) average spot price paid for and (b) volume sold of Iraqi oil on the international market in each month since June 2003; and if she will make a statement. [154550]
Mr. Timms: The average spot prices for sales of Iraqi crude oil each month since June 2003 are given in Table 1. Only a small volume of Iraqi oil has been sold on a spot basis.
23 Feb 2004 : Column 55W
| Basrah Light(7) | Kirkuk(8) | |
|---|---|---|
| June 2003 | 26.1 | 24.2 |
| July 2003 | 26.5 | 26.4 |
| August 2003 | 27.5 | 28.3 |
| September 2003 | 24.8 | Not applicable |
| October 2003 | 27.4 | Not applicable |
| November 2003 | 27.3 | Not applicable |
| December 2003 | 29.3 | Not applicable |
| January 2004 | 30.1 | Not applicable |
(7) Monthly average of the daily spot price assessment of Iraqi Basrah Light crude delivered to the United States Gulf.
(8) Monthly average of the daily spot assessment of Iraqi Kirkuk crude loading at Ceyhan in Turkey. Note that Kirkuk crude has been exported since August 2003. Kirkuk prices are on a Free On Board basis, meaning that all delivery, inspection and elevation or loading costs involved in putting the crude on board a carrier have been paid.
Source:
Platts
Business Internet Access
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of businesses with internet access greater than 2 Mbps. [155263]
Mr. Timms: The Government have recognised for some time the importance of broadband for business use. Through its UK online for business programme the DTI has worked to promote the benefits that broadband can bring. The Government have also worked hard with industry to extend broadband availability and will continue to promote broadband through its package of support to business. Increasingly, this will include pointing out the added benefits that can be gained through higher-speed broadband access.
Business Regulation
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many regulations on business have been lifted since 2000; and if she will make a statement on future lifting of regulatory burdens on businesses. [153141]
Nigel Griffiths: The figures for number of regulations lifted are not held centrally.
The Regulatory Reform Action Plan includes deregulatory measures and simplification of exiting compliance requirements. The original RRAP was published in February 2002 and contained 250 reforms, the update in December 2003 contained over 600.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which regulatory impact assessments have been put forward by the Better Regulation Task Force for the National Audit Office to review; and what subsequent action has been taken in each instance. [153552]
Mr. Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published the Regulatory Impact Assessments in its pilot year sample on its website at the following address: www. nao.gov.uk/publications/workinprogress/rias.htm
23 Feb 2004 : Column 56W
The NAO will shortly be publishing a Compendium Report on its findings.
Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of trends in the amount of time businesses spend on dealing with regulation; and if she will make a statement. [153774]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 9 February 2004]: The World Bank's "Doing business in 2004" survey of 130 countries ranked the UK in top 10 countries with least regulations, and the New Year survey of EU Business leaders by Handelsblatt ranked the UK No. l for competitiveness. The OECD has found the UK has almost the lowest administration cost and fewer regulations for entrepreneurs than any other EU country, while tax burdens on small businesses are lowest in the UK. A NatWest Survey of 851 UK companies showed a welcome fall in their concerns about red tape. Government policies which have contributed to this include; the following:
- the abolition of automatic fines for late VAT payment for 200,000 SMEs. In 1996–97 fines totalled £99 million;
- cutting form-filling and red tape for up to 700,000 SMEs with the flat rate VAT scheme;
- raising the statutory audit requirement to £5.6 million turnover to save 219,000 small businesses up to £274 million a year.
The Government continue to work to reduce the burdens on business.
Business Support
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list each business support scheme that has been (a) launched and (b) terminated in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [153533]
Ms Hewitt: All DTI funded business support schemes are being replaced with a small set of more strategically focussed products. Since January 2003, the DTI has launched the following:
- Small Firms Loan Guarantee
- Grant for Research and Development
- Grant for Investigating an Innovative Idea
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
- Advanced Metals Technologies Initiative
- Supply Chain Groups
- Coal Investment Aid and
- Micro and Nanotechnology applied research programme
The following products are to be made available during 2004:
- Collaborative R&D
- Knowledge Transfer Networks
- Access to Business Best Practice
- Support to implement best business practice
- Finance to encourage investment in specific areas of England and
- Enterprise Capital Funds
It is not possible to list all the business support schemes launched in years prior to 2003.
23 Feb 2004 : Column 57W
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to reduce the number of business support schemes sponsored by her Department. [153562]
Ms Hewitt: All DTI funded business support schemes are being replaced with a small set of more strategically focussed products. Four of these new products (Small Firms Loan Guarantee, Grant for Research and Development, Grant for Investigating an Innovative Idea and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) have been available since spring 2003. Further products will be made available from April this year.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the business support schemes supported by her Department. [153563]
Ms Hewitt: I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 5 February 2004, Official Report, column 998W.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many United Kingdom small businesses she estimates have failed as a result of the late payment or non-payment of debt in each of the last five years. [153564]
Nigel Griffiths: Accurate information regarding the number of business failures specifically attributable to late or non-payment of debt is not available.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated cost to United Kingdom small businesses was of the late payment or non-payment of debt in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [153565]
Nigel Griffiths: Accurate information regarding the cost to small businesses of late payment or non-payment of debt is not available.
Call Centres
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) which call centres have relocated abroad from (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) the UK in each year since 2000; and where they have relocated to; [153228]
- (2) how many (a) call centres and (b) call centre-related jobs there are in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) Tyne and Wear, (iv) the North East and (v) the UK. [153229]
Ms Hewitt: The Government are well aware of the heightened interest and concerns expressed about the offshoring of UK service operations, including call centres, to countries such as India, China and Eastern Europe. My Department has commissioned research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of UK call centre operations. We are conducting this research because reliable figures on call centre employment, including jobs lost and created, do not currently exist, and there are conflicting predictions on future employment trends. However, we are still seeing growth in UK call centres; for example, in the North East region Hays Travel is creating 160 job opportunities at its call centres in Sunderland, Newcastle and Stockton.
23 Feb 2004 : Column 58W
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) call centres and (b) call centre jobs there are in (i) South Yorkshire and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber. [153720]
Ms Hewitt: The Government are well aware of the heightened interest and concerns expressed about the offshoring of UK service operations, including call centres, to countries such as India, China and Eastern Europe. My Department has commissioned research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of UK call centre operations. We are conducting this research because reliable figures on call centre employment, including jobs lost and created, do not currently exist, and there are conflicting predictions on future employment trends. However, we are still seeing growth in UK call centres; for example, in the Yorkshire and Humberside region Ventura is creating 300 new job opportunities at its call centre in Rotherham.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) call centres and (b) call centre jobs there are in (i) the North West and (ii) Lancashire. [154315]
Ms Hewitt: The Government are well aware of the heightened interest and concerns expressed about the offshoring of UK service operations, including call centres, to countries such as India, China and Eastern Europe. My Department has commissioned research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of UK call centre operations. We are conducing this research because reliable figures on call centre employment, including jobs lost and created, do not currently exist, and there are conflicting predictions on future employment trends. However, we are still seeing growth in UK call centres; for example, in the North West region Vertex is creating 1,000 new job opportunities at its call centres in Knowsley, Speke and Bolton.
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