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18 Nov 2004 : Column 1908W—continued

Work-related Illness

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the percentage of people who attributed heart disease to work-related stress in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [196246]

Jane Kennedy: A survey of work-related ill-health in 2001–02 estimated that 80,000 people believed their heart disease, heart attack or circulatory problem was caused or made worse by their work. Information does exist on the number of people in the UK suffering from heart disease but the numbers are not directly comparable with estimates of ill-health and so it is not possible to provide a percentage figure.

Basic State Pension

Sir Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women in (i) the Scottish Borders, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the UK are entitled to the full basic State Pension. [198192]

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is in the table.
 
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Area	Men	Women
Great Britain	3,486,000	3,162,500
Scotland	305,500	307,100
Scottish Borders	7,900	7,700

Notes:
1. Figures are taken from a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
2. Data is rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
3. Local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant Office for National Statistics postcode directory.
4. A full basic State Pension, £77.45 in 2003–04, is paid to those who fully satisfy the contribution conditions either in their own right or where applicable, on the basis of their late or former spouse's contributions.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample as at 31 March 2004.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Advantage West Midlands

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when Advantage West Midlands was first informed of the possibility that they might no longer be able to account for assets on a portfolio basis but should value and account for assets on an individual basis. [198303]

Jacqui Smith: The National Audit Office first told Advantage West Midlands (AWM) along with all other RDAs of this issue in February 2004. However, the RDAs and the National Audit Office agreed that there should be no change in accounting treatment for the 2003–04 financial year, but that this change in accounting treatment should take effect from 1 April 2004.

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether the projects and investments undertaken by Advantage West Midlands meet European state aid requirements; [198305]

(2) how much Advantage West Midlands will make available for revenue funding on new projects in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 in (i) regeneration zones and (ii) elsewhere in the region; [198306]

(3) whether Advantage West Midlands is expected to meet key performance targets on (a) learning opportunities created, (b) jobs created and safeguarded, (c) new business created and attracted and (d) other areas in (i) 2004–05 and (ii) 2005–06; [198307]

(4) to which projects Advantage West Midlands has issued letters imposing claw-back requirements so that funding may be withheld or withdrawn even if schemes reach output performance targets. [198308]

Jacqui Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. and learned Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Appointments

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what appointments her Department has made to (a) British Energy plc, (b) BNFL plc, (c) the Export Credits Guarantee Department, (d) Royal Mail plc and (e) the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority since June. [199173]

Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Batteries

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the impact of a total ban on the sale and use of nickel-cadmium batteries on employment in the United Kingdom. [199279]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of alternatives to nickel-cadmium batteries for uses that (a) require reliability and high discharge and charge rates and (b) need to operate at low temperatures. [199280]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Battery Directive

Mr. Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the UK Government's position on the proposed new EU Battery Directive [COM(2003)723 final]. [199278]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

BT

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she will take to ensure that BT fulfils its obligation to provide an improved IPStream to DataStream migration process in the broadband market. [198016]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Business Angels

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent on promoting the business angel concept in each year since 1998 through (a) grants and (b) business angel networks. [195171]

Nigel Griffiths: The information is as follows:

(a) The Department has provided the following grant funding to the National Business Angels Network to help promote the business angel concept.
 
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	Grant funding (£)
1998	50,000
1999	50,000
2000	340,000
2001	250,000
2002	147,000
2003	165,000
2004	140,500

(b) The Department has not provided any funding to business angels networks. These receive their funding from a variety of sources, including Regional Development Agencies, enterprise agencies and Business Links. We do not hold any information on how much has been spent by the business angels networks on promoting the business angel concept.

Business Regulation

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2004, Official Report, column 1148W, on business regulation, which of the reviews were conducted by her Department; and what changes to legislation were proposed as a result of each review. [195578]

Nigel Griffiths: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Business Start-ups

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what rules apply to (a) eligibility for and (b) payment of the Seed Corn Grant scheme; and whether the scheme is available to start-up businesses in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Stoke-on-Trent. [195704]

Nigel Griffiths: The Business Innovation Centre in Stafford is in receipt of European Regional Development Funds to operate its Seed Corn Grant Scheme, which is available to start-up small businesses in the Objective 2 area of North Staffordshire. This includes both Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent. Basic eligibility is determined by the presence or proposed presence of a business in the qualifying area. Detailed criteria and advice on how to apply are available from the Business Innovation Centre.

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