---

28 Apr 2004 : Column 1162W—continued

Northwest Development Agency

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money the Northwest Development Agency has spent in total since its creation in (a) each local authority in the North West and (b) each parliamentary constituency in the North West. [167656]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 26 April 2004]: The Northwest Development Agency does not collate data by local authority area or parliamentary constituency.

The total NWDA funding for each year since its creation is as follows:

	£ million
1999–2000	234
2000–01	176
2001–02	292
2002–03	306

Oil Prices

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her assessment of the impact of the oil price on business investment in the UK. [168890]

Mr. Timms: The price of oil is just one of many factors that affects the level of business investment in the UK economy, and for most sectors is a less important factor than, for instance, the cost of capital or profitability. Moreover, although international oil prices have been relatively high over the last year, the fall in the value of the US dollar has helped the sterling oil price rise less steeply.

The Department's assessment therefore is that high recent international oil prices have impacted little on overall investment levels within the UK. Indeed the most recent investment data show business investment in the UK rising during each of the last three quarters of 2003.

Procurement Policy

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the corporate social responsibility requirements of her Department's procurement policy. [168670]

Ms Hewitt: As the sponsoring Department for business the DTI vision for corporate social responsibility is to see companies take account of their economic, social and environmental impact in the way they operate, maximising the benefits and minimising the downsides. Naturally, the Department is keen to reflect these practices. We are working closely with Defra to push forward the sustainable development in    procurement agenda and through our Small Business Service and in partnership with the Office of Government Commerce, we seek to improve accessibility of Government contracts to small and medium enterprises, including those owned by ethnic minorities and women.
 
28 Apr 2004 : Column 1163W
 

Regional Development Agencies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to make Regional Development Agencies democratically accountable to the community in which they operate. [167289]

Mr. Raynsford: I have been asked to reply.

The Government's policy on regional governance, including the role of Regional Development Agencies, was set out in the White Paper, "Your Region, Your Choice" published in May 2002 (cm 5511).

In those regions which vote to establish an elected regional assembly, the Regional Development Agency will become a functional body of the elected assembly and so, directly accountable to it.

In those regions which do not have an elected assembly, the existing regional chambers, made up of local authority representatives and social and economic partners, will continue to scrutinise the work of the Regional Development Agency.

Renewable Energy

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect of recent trends in investment in renewable energy upon residents of Birkenhead. [166614]

Mr. Timms: As I far as I am aware recent trends in investment have not led directly to new renewables capacity in Birkenhead itself. However, there are a number of development not far from Birkenhead.

In 2003 my Department awarded a capital grant of £10 million to Seascape Energy towards the costs of developing the Burbo Bank offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay.

In 1999, Mersey Docks and Harbour Company were awarded a contract under the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) arrangements for electricity to be generated from six 600 kW wind turbines in Seaforth Dock.

A grant of £11,759.50 was awarded to Cosmopolitan Housing Association under stream 1 of the DTIs Photovoltaic (PV) Major Demonstration Programme for a project in Liverpool.

A grant of £94,647 was awarded under the DTIs PV Domestic Field Trial to CDS Housing for a project at Pinehurst Estate, Liverpool.

A grant of £1,250 was awarded to Liverpool county council under the DTIs Clear Skies scheme for a community project in Liverpool.

Some initiatives relating to the North West region as a whole may result in benefits for Birkenhead. In 2000–01, the DTI contributed £50,000 towards a study of the potential for renewable energy throughout the North West region. Between 2002–04, the DTI contributed £208,060 towards a regional renewable energy planning facilitation fund administered through the Government Office for the North West.
 
28 Apr 2004 : Column 1164W
 

Rogue Recruitment Agencies

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department is taking to tackle the activities of rogue recruitment agencies; and if she will make a statement. [168895]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The DTIs Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate enforces the legislation regulating the activities of the private recruitment industry. Inspectors visit agencies' premises to examine their records. The Inspectorate can prosecute an agency found to be in breach of the legislation and the maximum fined is £5,000 for each offence. It can also apply to an employment tribunal for an order prohibiting an individual from operating an agency or employment business for up to 10 years.

I remain committed to tackling the problem of those agencies and employment businesses that breach legislation governing their industry. To this end, we have recently completely overhauled the Conduct Regulations the Inspectorate enforce and undertaken a number of innovative activities to help ensure migrant workers do not fall victim to rogue employment agencies. Moreover, Employment Agency Standards Inspectors follow up every complaint received concerning breaches of the employment agency legislation and also undertake spot checks.

Rural Post Offices

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when the Government will announce the level of financial assistance they are to provide to rural post offices after April 2006; [169128]

(2) when her Department will publish the report completed by Postcomm in July 2003 on funding for postal services in rural areas after 2006; and if she will make a statement. [169129]

Mr. Timms [holding answers 27 April 2004]: The Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) report on the future of the post office network recommended that the Postal Services Commission should advise the Government on the main options for the policy framework after 2006. The Government are currently considering that policy advice, which was submitted in confidence, and will take decisions on the shape of the rural post office network after 2006 in good time to allow for a smooth transition from the current support arrangements. The Government have no plans to publish Postcomm's advice at present.

Scottish Power

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings Ministers in her Department have had with representatives of Scottish Power to discuss its proposed gas storage plant at Byley, Cheshire. [168715]

Mr. Timms: Ministers meet energy companies from time to time to discuss the evolving energy scene and development of energy policy.

I met the chief executive of Scottish Power in March. We did not discuss the Byley proposal.
 
28 Apr 2004 : Column 1165W
 

Shareholders

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has for new legislation to protect shareholder investors from misrepresentations by company executives. [168900]

Jacqui Smith: It is already an offence under existing legislation for directors who, recklessly or knowingly, approve annual accounts which do not comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 1985. Directors can also be guilty of an offence where a directors' report is prepared which does not comply with the Companies Act 1985. Directors may, of course, also be liable to the company if accounts and reports are approved which do not represent a true and fair view.

The Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Bill currently before Parliament also strengthens audit and accounting requirements, including the ability of auditors to acquire information.

In addition, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has the power to issue a private warning, public censure and unlimited fine on companies for breaches of the Listing Rules and on their directors who were knowingly concerned in such breaches. The FSA also has the power to publicly censure or impose an unlimited fine on anyone, whether they are authorised or not, who engages in market abuse as defined under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The FSA can also take action under Section 397 of Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Misleading Statements and Practices), which makes it a criminal offence to engage in the following activities: (a) making a statement, promise or forecast which he knows to be misleading, false or deceptive; (b) dishonestly concealing any material facts whether in connection with a statement, promise or forecast made by him or otherwise; or (c) recklessly makes (dishonestly or otherwise) a statement, promise or forecast Which is misleading, false or deceptive.

---