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10 May 2004 : Column 85W—continued
Micro-satellites
James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her assessment is of British industry's readiness to take advantage of the market for launching micro-satellites; and what action her Department is taking to improve that readiness. [170453]
Ms Hewitt: In December 2003 the Government published clear priorities in its support for the UK space industry, the particular strengths of which lie in the Earth observation, satellite navigation and satellite communications sectors, both in their supply-side and in their fast-growing downstream segments. While the Government are alert to the need to ensure access to space, including for our leading-edge micro-satellite industry, we believe that the current over-supply in the global commercial launches market makes intervention unnecessary.
New Businesses (Oldham, West and Royton)
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have been established in Oldham West and Royton since 1997. [170936]
Nigel Griffiths: Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 115,000 business start-ups in England and Wales, including 400 in Oldham Local Authority (which contains the constituency of Oldham West and Royton), in the fourth quarter of 2003. The latest yearly figures show 465,000 business start-ups in England and Wales in 2003. This represents a 19 per cent. increase on the year before. There were 1,900 business start-ups in Oldham Local Authority in 2003. Data for Local Authorities are not available for before 2003.
DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for Oldham Local Authority (which contains the constituency of Oldham West and Royton) are shown in the table for the period 1997 to 2002. Data for 2003 will be available in autumn 2004.
| Oldham | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 480 |
| 1998 | 470 |
| 1999 | 465 |
| 2000 | 480 |
| 2001 | 440 |
| 2002 | 510 |
Source:
Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2002, Small Business Service, available from: www.sbs.gov.uk/statistics/vatstats.php
VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register
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will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 3.8 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2002.
North Sea Energy Production
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the value of contracts for oil and gas production platforms in the North sea in areas for which the UK Government granted licences was awarded to UK-based firms in each of the last five years. [170410]
Mr. Timms: Information on UK companies winning contracts from UKCS oil and gas operators is compiled only for major fields, such as Millom (approved 1999), Leadon (2000), Clair (2001), Goldeneye (2002) and Buzzard (2003). The involvement in these projects by UK-based companies with the necessary capability ranged from around 60 per cent. to 75 per cent. by contract value over this period.
Nuclear Security
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the main points were of the agreement reached with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the exchange of nuclear security information to which reference is made at paragraph 16.17 of her Department's Annual Report, Cm 6216. [170989]
Mr. Timms: The agreement between the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry facilitates the exchange of classified information regarding the safety and security of civil nuclear installations. Such agreements are vital in combating the threat of global terrorism.
Omega Site (Warrington)
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the development of the Omega site in Warrington on (a) Warrington and (b) the regional economy. [171019]
Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not made an assessment of the impact of the development of the Omega site in Warrington. Omega South is one of the North West Development Agency's strategic regional sites. It has the potential to create some 12,000 jobs and it is essential that the development of this scale and significance is consistent with both national and regional planning policies.
Pilot Joint Taskforce
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual cost to her Department of participation in the Pilot joint taskforce on the future of the UK oil and gas industry (a) has been and (b) is expected to be in the next five years; and how her Department measures value for money from participation in the Pilot taskforce. [170977]
Mr. Timms:
provides the PILOT Secretariat, plus around £100K annually in direct support of industry initiatives and other related activity.
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DTI's financial commitment to PILOT is expected to remain the same for the next £5 years, subject to continual review and reflecting the situation in the UKCS (United Kingdom Continental Shelf).
PILOT has set itself a number of challenging objectives that includes specific targets for production, investment and job creation. These objectives are transparent and measurable and DTI continually monitors progress.
Post Office
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library details of the business case underpinning the Post Office's closure proposals for the Fylde constituency. [171800]
Mr. Timms: No. Under the public consultation process, Post Office Limited supplies extensive information to assist stakeholders and other interested parties in their consideration of post office closure proposals, but detailed financial information is, necessarily, commercially confidential.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will urge Post Office Limited to make more time for consultation available to (a) the public and (b) other interested bodies when post offices are being considered for closure. [172069]
Mr. Timms: No. The public consultation period for proposed closure of post offices under Post Office Limited's urban reinvention programme has already been extended from four to six weeks. In addition, Postwatch receives notification of proposals two weeks in advance, and Members of Parliament one week in advance, of the start of public consultation. Local authorities are invited to provide relevant information, in advance, on infrastructure and regeneration projects to assist Post Office Limited in preparing its proposals.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the performance of Royal Mail delivery services in Hendon constituency. [170192]
Mr. Timms: Delivery services are the operational concern of Royal Mail Group and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Premium Rate Telephone Numbers
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of companies providing misleading information regarding premium rate telephone numbers; and if she will make a statement. [169377]
Mr. Timms:
The regulation of Premium Rate Services is a matter for the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information
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Services (ICSTIS). Their Code of practice sets out the requirement for companies to provide clear pricing information and specifically prohibits the use of misleading pricing information.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations and discussions she has had regarding misleading information by companies charging premium rate costs for telephone services; and if she will make a statement. [169378]
Mr. Timms: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no recent representations on this matter. Misleading information about such services is a matter for the Premium Rate Services regulator, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS).
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