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15 Mar 2006 : Column 2288W—continued
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Civil Service (Workforce Reductions)
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much is expected to be saved as a result of meeting civil service work force reductions targets in (a) the Office of Fair Trading and (b) UK Trade and Investment. [52809]
Ian Pearson: For the financial years 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08 the OFT expects to make efficiency savings of £6.5 million. These savings will arise from reductions in staffing and related costs, as well as more efficient procurement of goods and services.
UK Trade and Investment expects to deliver £35 million efficiency savings over the period 2005–06 to 2007–08. Of this, £24 million relates to efficiency savings on the funding streams it receives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). These funding streams (and hence the expected efficiency savings from these funding streams) relate to staff and associated costs for FCO and DTI staff working for UK Trade and Investment.
Dialling Codes
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on Ofcom's plans to create regional dialling codes; and on what administrative government boundaries the codes will be based. [56088]
Alun Michael: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which published its Review of the UK Telephone Numbering Plan on 23 February. As Ofcom has made clear, proposals are designed to preserve the existing system and to improve price transparency for consumers. Ofcom is not planning to create new regional dialling codes. Indeed, the primary aim of Ofcom's proposals for these numbers is to reduce the risk of such changes, now and in the future. The fundamentals of the current plan will remain almost unchanged. Ofcom's plans involve changing the current numbering plan as little as possible while meeting increasing demand for numbers, which are of course a finite resource. The consultation can be found at the following internet address:
Disabled Workers
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the pay gap between able bodied and disabled workers in (a) West Lancashire and (b) the UK in each year from 1997 to 2005; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce it. [58520]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Low Pay Commission reported that, in 2004, the pay gap for people with a work-limiting disability was 13 percentage points. This Department is not aware of any further data on the pay gap between disabled and non-disabled workers in West Lancashire or in the years 1997 to 2005.
The Equal Opportunities Commission's Code of Practice on Equal Pay recommends that it is good practice for employers, when comparing the pay between men and women to also look at disability and seek advice from the Disability Rights Commission to ensure that the relevant provisions of the disability legislation are taken into account.
As a result of a strong economy and active labour market policies, the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people is starting to close. The employment rate for disabled people was 38.1 per cent. in spring 1998, rising to 46.6 per cent. by spring 2005; over the same period, the employment gap fell from 35.1 per cent. to 28 per cent.
The DTI supports the recommendations in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report, Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People" and the aims of the Office for Disability Issues and contributes to implementing recommendations within its area of responsibility.
Regional Development Agencies
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which regional development agencies have funded (a) rail services and (b) road building, construction or road improvement works in the last five years for which figures are available. [57808]
Alun Michael [holding answer 13 March 2006]: Consistent with their statutory purposes as set out in the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) Act of 1998, the following regional development agencies (RDAs) have invested in (a) rail services and (b) road building, construction or road improvement works in the last five years for which figures are available:
(b) Road building, construction or road improvement works
Businesses (North-West)
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses were created in the North-West region in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005; and how many are expected to be created in 2006. [56987]
Alun Michael: The number of small businesses (less than 50 employees) created in the North-West region in 2003 was 29,519 while the number for 2004 was 20,133. Figures for small business creation in 2005 are not yet available. There are no forecast projections for the number of small business expected to be created across the region in 2006.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being put in place following the 2005 Northwest Regional Economic Strategy review to improve access to public and private sector business support providers. [56988]
Alun Michael: The revised Northwest Regional Economic Strategy, to be launched in March, sets out the future approach to develop the economy of the region and is the key document in which the RDA's business plan and other documents will be based. The first port of call for business support is the Business Link network within the Local Business Link or through the national website (businesslink.com). Last April oversight of Business Link passed to the RDAs and a review is currently being undertaken by the North West Development Agency (NWDA) of its Business Support and Business Link activities to ensure that these services address the main issues identified in the new Rural Economic Strategy (to be launched in March). The NWDA is also investigating how private sector business support activities can be better incorporated and leveraged by the public sector to improve the overall access, level and quality of service to businesses. Core issues under review include improving client awareness and understanding of services, simplifying services and improving efficiency.
Business Link is a national brand" delivered locally, with the RDA responsible for quality delivery. The Business Link service will be a key driver to improving access and the review specifically focuses on how the business model for this service can be extended to increase penetration and access, in part through utilising existing business support structures. The NWDA is also investigating ways in which access and support to 'harder to reach' clients and those with different needs can be improved, such as mainstreaming where appropriate.
Timber
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of timber imported into the UK in (a) 1980 and (b) 2003. [56501]
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Ian Pearson: Imports into the United Kingdom of wood and cork had a value of £683 million in 1980 and of £1,461 million in 2003.
UK Trade and Investment
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is on devolving the UK Trade and Investment budget to regional development agencies and regional assemblies. [58635]
Ian Pearson: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) provides trade development advice and services to businesses through teams of advisers located in the English regions. It works closely, through its regional International Trade Directors, with the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) on international trade strategy and delivery, through a Dual Key" Framework. In support of inward investment, UKTI currently provides £15.2 million to the RDAs' single pot" for inward investment promotion activities.
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