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Regional Assemblies
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the proposed relationship between the regional development agencies and the regional assemblies in terms of control of public funding used to support businesses. [186349]
Jacqui Smith: The Government set up regional development agencies (RDAs) in the English regions in 1999 to co-ordinate the economic development and regeneration of the regions. The RDAs are the strategic drivers of regional economic development, working with regional and local partners and stakeholders to improve the performance of the regional economies. The RDA's activities include promoting business efficiency, investment and competitiveness in various ways. Details of these and other activities to further economic development and regeneration, skills and employment, are set out in their corporate plans, which are approved by Ministers.
As part of their policy for decentralising power and strengthening the English regions, the Government are providing for the establishment of elected assemblies in regions that want to take greater responsibility for the decisions that affect them. The Government published the draft Regional Assemblies Bill and accompanying policy statement on 22 July. As set out in the draft Bill, in a region where an elected regional assembly is created, the RDA will become a functional body of the assembly. The assembly will fund the RDA from its block grant, and the RDA will be accountable to the assembly, rather than to central Government, including for the public funding it uses for business support. It will be up to each assembly to decide the precise arrangements it puts in place for its working relationship with the RDA.
The RDA's business support activities will, as now, support the regional economic strategy, which the RDA will prepare for adoption by the assembly, subject to any modifications the assembly may wish to make.
Both the RDA and the assembly will be required to publish reports on their activities and expenditure.
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Regional Development Grants
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria are used to assess areas for regional development grants. [189230]
Jacqui Smith: The current Assisted Areas map was agreed with the European Commission in 2000, in accordance with the Regional Aid Guidelines and remains in force until 2006. It cannot be amended during that period without the agreement of the Commission.
The map identifies areas of acute labour market need and business opportunity, according to broad criteria established by the Commission. The UK map agreed in 2000 was constructed from electoral wards identified on the basis of four separate criteria: 'residence-based' (International Labour Office—ILO) and 'workplace-based' (Claimant Count) unemployment rates; manufacturing share of employment; and employment rates. These indicators were calculated from a series of ward—level information drawn from the 1991 Census, and the 1998 Labour Force Survey, Annual Survey of Employment and Claimant Count unemployment.
Regional Venture Capital Funds
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether all regional venture capital funds are operational; and on what dates they were launched. [189812]
Nigel Griffiths: All nine Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCF) are operational, one in each English region.
East Midlands RVCF was launched in January 2002
North East RVCF was launched in January 2002
North West RVCF was launched in March 2002
Yorkshire and the Humber RVCF was launched in June 2002
London RVCF was launched in June 2002
South West RVCF was launched in October 2002
South East RVCF was launched in October 2002
West Midlands RVCF was launched in January 2003
East of England RVCF was launched in July 2003.
Renewable Obligation Certificates
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to encourage greater use of renewable obligation certificates; and if she will make a statement on how the changes introduced in the Energy Act 2004 will work in practice in relation to the new mutualisation power. [189911]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Renewables Obligation provides suppliers with a strong incentive to acquire Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) as suppliers who do not have enough certificates to meet their share of the Renewables Obligation have to pay the buy-out price for the remainder. The proceeds of the buy-out fund are then recycled to suppliers who hold ROCs, so that those suppliers paying into the buy-out fund are effectively subsidising those who use ROCs.
The Government's current consultation paper on a number of limited changes to the Renewables Obligation, which was published on 8 September, includes a proposal to increase the level of the Obligation from 10.4 per cent. to 15.4 per cent. over the period from
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2010–11 to 2015–16. This measure is in response to calls from the renewable industry to give additional confidence for the period beyond 2010 and should encourage the development of renewables and therefore the use of ROCs. In addition, the forthcoming review of the Renewables Obligation in 2005–06 will include, among other things, an assessment of the effectiveness of the Renewables Obligation, including the extent to which the Obligation has led to new renewables projects coming forward.
The current consultation paper also sets out the Government's plans to give effect to the changes introduced in the Energy Act 2004 in respect of mutualisation. Where there is a shortfall in the Renewables Obligation buy-out fund, mutualisation will work by requiring each licensed supplier with a renewables obligation (excluding the defaulting supplier) to contribute an additional sum to make up the shortfall. These sums will form a separate "mutualisation fund" which will be redistributed to suppliers holding ROCs in the same way as the existing buy-out fund.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down how shortfalls in the Renewable Obligation Certificates Fund were made up in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [189912]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In 2002–03, there were shortfalls in the Renewables Obligation buy-out fund totalling £23.6 million. This was the result of the failure of two companies—TXU (UK) Ltd. (which lead to a shortfall of £23.1 million) and Maverick Energy Ltd. (a shortfall of £0.5million). I understand that the administrators of TXU expect to make an interim payment to the affected suppliers very shortly.
It is too early to give precise figures for shortfalls in 2003–04, although I understand that two companies—Atlantic Electric and Gas Limited and Maverick Energy Limited—both of which are in administrative receivership will not have any funds available to comply with the Renewables Obligation. The resulting shortfall from Atlantic will be around £8.5 million and from Maverick some £0.7 million.
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Sunday Trading
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Department has for evaluating the effect of Sunday trading on the family life of employees. [189578]
Mr. Sutcliffe: None. The Employment Rights Act 1996 provides an opt-out option for shop workers who do not wish to work on Sundays.
Tidal Renewable Energy
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public money has been invested in renewable energy tidal sources in the current financial year. [189209]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government provide support for research and development in tidal stream technologies under the Department of Trade and Industry's Technology Programme. So far this financial year, £444,148 has been spent and a further £566,727 committed to this area under the programme.
Additionally, on 2 August Government announced a new £50 million Marine Renewables Development Fund. The new fund will be committed over the next three years and will support the further development of both tidal and wave technologies.
Trade Statistics
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the main (a) goods and (b) services traded between the UK and (i) Finland, (ii) Sweden, (iii) Norway, (iv) Denmark and (v) Iceland were in the last period for which figures are available. [189243]
Mr. Alexander: Information on the UK's trade in goods with the Nordic countries is given in the following table.
A breakdown of the UK's trade in services with these countries is not available.
Source:
Compiled by DTI from HM Customs and Excise data
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