| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
11 Jan 2005 : Column 433W—continued
Regional Venture Capital Fund
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many enterprises which received funding from the Regional Venture Capital Fund programme have failed since receiving that funding. [206133]
Nigel Griffiths: Of the 148 businesses invested in by RVCFs one has failed (as at 30 November 2004).
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the administration costs of the Regional Venture Capital Fund have been in each year since its inception, broken down by region. [206135]
Nigel Griffiths: The nine funds have a total value of £250.5 million, with the DTI/SBS commitment being £74,375,000. To 30 November 2004 the DTI/SBS has invested almost £46 million in the nine RVCFs.
Following is a table setting out the estimated administration costs of the Regional Venture Capital Fund since its inception.
| Financial year | Administration costs |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 47,020 |
| 2000–01 | 92,167 |
| 2001–02 | 95,853 |
| 2002–03 | 84,455 |
| 2003–04 | 75,117 |
| 2004–05 | 56,586 |
| Total | 451,198 |
Sub-post Offices (Derbyshire)
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices were closed in (a) the West Derbyshire constituency and (b) Derbyshire in each of the last five years. [207461]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Decisions on post office closures are a matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Sub-postmasters (Compensation)
Annabelle Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average compensation payment has been to sub-postmasters leaving the postal
11 Jan 2005 : Column 434W
services business in (a) each constituency and (b) each nation and region of the UK under the Urban Reinvention Programme. [207604]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. And I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to Hon. Member.
UK Trade and Investment
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what agreements UK Trade and Investment has reached with each of the regional development agencies covering roles, resources and outputs on international trade. [206915]
Mr. Alexander: Agreements that UKTI will operate as the Regional Development Agencies' international trade arm, covering roles, resources and outputs, have been entered into between UKTI and all the RDAs except East of England Development Agency (with whom UKTI has agreed a joint delivery plan) and Yorkshire Forward (with whom UKTI has agreed a joint working strategy and is in the process of finalising a concordat).
UKTI and the RDAs have recently agreed a national framework for joint working under which, from April 2005, UKTI and all the RDAs will jointly sign off regional delivery plans on international trade These will ensure joint discussion of, and agreement on, objectives, resources, outputs and monitoring/evaluation.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) administration and (b) administration capital resources were consumed by her Department in meeting UK Trade and Investment's objectives of (i) enhancing competitiveness of companies in the UK through overseas trade and investment and (ii) ensuring a continuing high level of quality foreign direct investment in 2004–05; and what provision has been made for 2005–06. [206917]
Mr. Alexander: (a) The Department of Trade and Industry's administration provision to meet UK Trade and Investment's objectives for the current year (2004–05) amounts to £35.3 million of which some £31 million will be spent on enhancing the competitiveness of companies in the UK through overseas trade and investment and just under £4.3 million on ensuring a continuing high level of quality foreign direct investment. The planned provision for 2005–06 will be some £34 million, of which around 85 per cent. is expected to go on enhancing the competitiveness of companies in the UK through overseas trade and investment and the remainder on ensuring a continuing high level of quality foreign direct investment.
(b) The Department of Trade and Industry's administration provision to meet UK Trade and Investment's objectives does not include any capital resources.
Wind Farm
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to make a decision on the application submitted in October 2003
11 Jan 2005 : Column 435W
by Renewable Energy Systems to build a wind farm in Kedby, North Lincolnshire; and if she will make a statement. [206241]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: It is not yet possible to estimate when the process will conclude and a decision be reached.
TREASURY
Aggregates
David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the changes in levels of (a) use and (b) sale of (i) recycled and (ii) secondary aggregates has been since the introduction of the Aggregates Levy; [207085]
(2) whether his Department deems the Aggregates Levy to apply to the use of slate waste as aggregate; [207086]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of the aggregates levy on (a) the production of primary aggregates and (b) the volume of such aggregates sold. [207338]
John Healey: Sales data from aggregates levy returns are not recorded in such a way as to enable differentiation between sales or production of primary and secondary aggregates. However, data from the British Geological Survey suggest that overall production of aggregate in the UK decreased by over 8 per cent. between 2001 and 2003 to its lowest level since 1982.
As announced in the recent pre-Budget report, the Symonds Group survey of arisings and use of construction, demolition and excavation waste as aggregate in England in 2003 (published October 2004) shows that production of recycled aggregate increased by over 3 million tonnes between 2001 and 2003.
All slate is exempt from the aggregates levy.
Benefit Claimants (Dagenham)
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) unemployed claimants and (b) long-term unemployed claimants there have been in the Dagenham constituency in each year since 1997. [207162]
Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Jon Cruddas, dated 11 January 2005:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployed claimants in Dagenham. I am replying in his absence. (207162)
The attached table gives the total number of all Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA) claimants resident in the Dagenham Parliamentary Constituency for each year from 1997 to 2004. It also shows those claiming for over 12 months.
(5507190005) Computerised claims only, rounded to the nearest 5.
(5507190006) Average over 11 months.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus administrative system
Communities Staff (Pensions)
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Council Decision (a) supports and (b) authorises the accounting entry for Long Term Pensions Liabilities of Communities Staff (C294 volume 47, 30th November, p.65). [207102]
Mr. Timms: The Financial Regulation (Council Regulation 1605/2002) requires the Commission to keep accounting records. The Staff Regulation (Council Regulation 723/2004 amending the Staff Regulation) governs the funding of the pension scheme for civil servants of the European institutions. Both these regulations were approved by all member states and the European Parliament.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |