---

12 Dec 2005 : Column 1667W—continued

Hydro-power

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money the Government have invested in hydro-power technologies in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [33488]

Malcolm Wicks: It has not been possible to collate all public expenditure and other Government support since 1997 for hydropower in the time available at proportionate cost. However, it is possible to detail direct DTI expenditure on hydropower for these years through the New and Renewable Energy Programme. This are set out in the following table.

	£
1996–97	142,000
1997–98	57,000
1998–99	80,000
1999–2000	138,000
2000–01	60,000
2001–02	130,000
2002–03	200,000
2003–04	85,000
2004–05	0

There have also been sums allocated to Community and Household projects through the Clear Skies" scheme. Grants have been allocated for hydro projects totalling; 2003–04 £67,000, 2004–05 £187,955 and 2005–06 £95,880.

Identity Cards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the (a) total and (b) net cost of (i) integrating the proposed identity card scheme into his Department's IT systems and (ii)the ongoing operation of the scheme within his Department. [31114]

Alan Johnson: The Department has not finalised current best estimates of the cost of using the ID Cards Scheme to support the services which it oversees.

Inward Investment

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of inward investment
 
12 Dec 2005 : Column 1668W
 
grants made to English regional development agencies was in each year since 2001; and how these grants are dealt with in the allocation of expenditure as identifiable or non-identifiable in his Department's public expenditure statistical analyses. [35859]

Alun Michael: The total value of inward investment grants made to the English regional development agencies by UK Trade and Investment since 2001 is detailed in the following table:

Financial year	Grant (£ million)
2001–02	12.78
2002–03	12.93
2003–04	12.93
2004–05	13.23
2005–06	15.23

Notes:
1.Grants to individual regional development agencies are made via the single pot formulaic distribution method.
2.The grants to the regional development agencies are classified as non-identifiable in the 2005 public expenditure statistical analyses.

Isle of Grain Gas Terminal

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what limit there is on the number of companies that can use the liquefied natural gas import facilities at the Isle of Grain terminal. [34185]

Malcolm Wicks: There is no limit on the number of companies that can use the LNG import facilities at the Isle of Grain. The primary capacity has been auctioned by the terminal owner, and is fully contracted to two parties. If they do not use their contracted capacity, it should be made available to other parties under use it or lose it" (UIOLI"). Under the regulatory regime applying to this terminal, enforced by Ofgem, the terminal owner is required to facilitate UIOLI arrangements. On 5 December Ofgem announced that the terminal owners and primary capacity owners are improving the arrangements for transparency and UIOLI at the Isle of Grain facility.

IT Projects

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many IT projects which cost over £1 million and were introduced since 1997 are in use in his Department. [26613]

Alan Johnson: Due to a change in the Department's accounting system during 2003–04, and the devolved nature of the ICT, consistent data on the number of IT projects cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Low Carbon Building Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the £30 million funding package recently announced for the Low Carbon Building Programme is expected to be spent (a) on programmes and (b) across the six-year period outlined in the June consultation paper. [33951]

 
12 Dec 2005 : Column 1669W
 

Malcolm Wicks: £1.5 million of the £30 million funding package has been brought forward to extend the Clear Skies and PV programmes. £28.5 million will be spent over three years on the Low Carbon Buildings programme, which is due to start in April 2006.

Long term commitment to the micro-generation sector needs to be seen in the wider context of the micro-generation strategy (to be published April 2006) that will seek to tackle some of the non grant barriers that are currently hindering development of a sustainable micro-generation market.

Maladministration

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many payments for maladministration have been made by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies, (c) its non-departmental public bodies and (d) other bodies for which his Department has responsibility in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [32247]

Alan Johnson: It is the policy of my Department, its agencies, and the non-departmental public bodies it sponsors, to make financial redress in accordance with the guidance set out in Chapter 18.7 and Annexes 18.1 and 18.2 of Government Accounting. However, the information requested for these organisation is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Manufacturing/Processing Industries

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government assistance is available to (a) small and (b) large manufacturing firms in Burnley and Padiham. [33899]

Alun Michael [holding answer 6 December 2005]: Manufacturing firms in Burnley and Padiham are eligible for financial support from a range of schemes available throughout the north west. For SMEs these include the grant for research and development and a variety of venture capital funds. In addition, manufacturing firms in parts of Burnley and Padiham are also eligible for selective finance for investment and the north west business investment scheme for SMEs.

A range of non-financial assistance is available from Business Link and the Manufacturing Advisory Service. The latter is funded by DTI and delivered in the north west by the Manufacturing Institute. It offers the region's manufacturing firms free diagnostic visits and support for projects to help boost performance and competitiveness. The North West Development Agency is also proposing to develop an advanced manufacturing centre on the former Michelin site.

Businesses across the country were recently involved in enterprise week. This encouraged young people to become involved in enterprise and develop entrepreneurial skills. There were many events in the north west, of which six tailored for organisations rather than individuals took place in Lancashire, including the
 
12 Dec 2005 : Column 1670W
 
'Arts for Enterprise: Gallery Glass' event, which was held in Burnley and aimed to encourage adults to utilise often under-used materials for window decorations.

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the (a) state of and (b) future prospects for (i)manufacturing industry and (ii) process industries in (1) Hartlepool constituency, (2) the Tees Valley sub-region and (3) the North East Region. [35181]

Alun Michael: The Government is committed to supporting a high value, high skill manufacturing sector, capable of introducing new products and processes into the economy, creating new markets, and improving the prosperity of the regions. The manufacturing and process industries within Hartlepool, the wider Tees Valley and North East region are demonstrating the transition to higher value manufacturing, competitive within global markets—including through the newly formed North East Process Industries Cluster (NEPIC). The Government is also encouraged to see the high profile which the manufacturing and process sectors in the Tees Valley have within the North East's Regional Economic Strategy, and the work of ONE North East and local partners.

---