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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Solar Panels

10. Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the operation of schemes to promote solar panels. [195869]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The DTI provides support for two capital grant schemes that promote use of solar panels.

The Major Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme launched in 2002 has committed some £16.3 million to 148 large-scale projects and some £4.7 million to 700 small-scale projects.

The Clear Skies programme provides grants for a number of renewable technologies including solar thermal. The programme has offered some £1.9 million for solar in 3,887 households and £1,821,623 for solar in 138 community projects.
 
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Energy Prices

11. Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of rising energy prices on British manufacturing. [195870]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: DTI officials and Ministers meet regularly with industry groups and companies to discuss concerns on energy prices.

Recent increases are in the main a result of market forces and follow a period in which energy prices have generally been at historically low levels in real terms.

Business Link (Northampton)

12. Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of Business Link Services in Northampton. [195871]

Nigel Griffiths: I am advised that Business Link Northamptonshire has performed well. During the 2003–04 financial year the Business Link operator had a market penetration rate of 34.5 per cent. compared to the England average of 33.8 per cent. This continued in 2004–05 where Northamptonshire's penetration rate remains higher than the England average at 34 per cent. as compared to 33.9 per cent.

Customer satisfaction with its services also remains strong. It exceeded the England average in both 2003–04 and 2004–05 of 89 per cent., by achieving a 91 per cent. satisfaction level.

Regulatory Impact

14. Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the level and cost of regulation imposed on business by her Department since 1997. [195874]

Ms Hewitt: DTI has produced 1,080 statutory instruments since 1997. Regulatory impact assessments are produced for SIs, covering impacts on business and others. These are placed in the Libraries of the House.

Power Generation

15. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that power generating companies are able to meet future energy demands. [195875]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: As set out in the Energy White Paper published in 2003, the Government have put in place a market-based framework for the energy industry in which price signals will show when new build is both needed and economically viable. The market is working well to deliver secure energy supplies. We expect it to continue to do so. National Grid are forecasting that the GB plant margin will rise over the next few years, reaching over 30 per cent. in 2007–08 and remaining around that level to the end of the decade.

Electricity Supply (Rural Areas)

16. Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the reliability of electricity supplies in rural areas. [195876]

 
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Mr. Mike O'Brien: DTI inspectors monitor the performance of rural networks in response to storms and carry out more detailed investigations in extreme circumstances. This work follows on from the publication of a major investigation into the storm of 27 October 2002, which affected 2,000,000 customers. Inspectors have also been working with the electricity industry to explore opportunities to improve storm performance, and a report was published in December last year.

In addition, Ofgem, the industry regulator provides incentives to companies to improve the reliability of electricity supplies.

Premium Rate Calls

17. Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to protect computer users from unsolicited premium rate calls being made from their machines. [195877]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government have asked the Office of Communications (Ofcom), to carry out a review of premium rate services regulation in order to examine ways of improving consumer protection in the future. The review is expected to report in November.

Motor Sport/Performance Engineering Industries

18. Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the importance of the (a) motor sport and (b) performance engineering industries to the UK's industrial base. [195878]

Jacqui Smith: These industries form an important and highly successful part of the UK's industrial base. They employ some 40,000 people and have a sales value of £5 billion, over half of which is export sales.

The Motorsport Competitiveness Panel, which was co-chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, undertook a detailed assessment of the significance and future potential of the motor sport and performance engineering sectors. Its report was published on 11 July 2003 and is available in the Libraries of the House.

The panel also made a number of recommendations to secure the future of these industries. We have pledged £16 million in support of these actions, which include widening participation in motor sport and improving the provision of training and qualifications.

Call Centres

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to minimise the movement of call centre jobs to eastern Europe and Asia. [195863]

Ms Hewitt: The Government share the concerns expressed about the impact of offshoring of services on individuals and communities in the UK. Nonetheless DTI's study into the competitiveness of UK call centres shows the UK call centre sector continuing to grow. The Government's focus must remain on enhancing UK competitiveness, and helping improving skills and on help to improve the skills of those who do lose their jobs to get back into work as quickly as possible.
 
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Civil Partnerships

Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 25 October, Official Report, column 996W, on civil partnerships, whether the estimated costs given refer only to those aged over 30 years who have been living for 12 years with a close family member; and whether they assume 100 per cent. take-up rate. [195191]

Ms Hewitt: The estimated costs refer only to those over 30 years and who have lived together for 12 years. However, the estimated costs do not assume 100 per cent. take-up.

Correspondence

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs dated 11 May, which was referred to her via the Home Secretary. [194153]

Ms Hewitt: When the Home Office inquired whether the hon. Member's constituent's concerns were the responsibility of my Department, my office responded on the same day explaining that the issues raised were not ones for this Department.

I understand that the Office of Fair Trading is now preparing a response.

Electricity Generation

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the development of airblown gasification combined cycle technology developed by British Coal for making electricity from coal. [193829]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: After British Coal ceased trading, the practical development of air blown gasification cycle technology was transferred to an industrial consortium termed the Clean Coal Power Generation Group headed by GEC-Alstom. With some financial support from the European Commission, GEC-Alstom together with Mitsui Babcock and Scottish Power undertook a design study examining the concept of installation of this technology at significant demonstration plant scale in the UK. The report associated with this study was completed but subsequent lack of financial interest has prevented the air blown gasification cycle technology proceeding further in the UK. Components and know how associated with this technology reside with various parties and UK bases who are able to exploit it.

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government will make available to other countries, proposing to construct coal-fired power stations, the airblown gasification combined cycle technology developed by British Coal. [193830]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The intellectual property rights of the components comprising the air blown gasification cycle technology reside with industrial parties, not the Government. These parties are at liberty to exploit such components in their own right and in association with other parties whether of UK or overseas origin.
 
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