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27 Jun 2006 : Column 246W—continued
Korea
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Department has taken to promote UK industry, technology and innovation in Korea to encourage inward investment from that country. [79322]
Mr. McCartney: UK Trade and Investment, in partnership with the regional development agencies and devolved Administrations, is responsible for promoting the UK as a destination for high quality inward investment from overseas, including the Republic of Korea.
Recently, UK Trade and Investment in Korea has focused on “in market” PR and media activity; the use of experts from industry and academia to talk directly to Korean companies about the UK’s strengths in technology sectors and events aimed at encouraging partnerships between UK and Korean companies. Other elements are the facilitation of bilateral technology focused co-operation; inward/outward visits including technology fact-finding missions and technology partnering. The teams from UK Trade and Investment and the FCO’s Science and Innovation Network based in Seoul collaborate to maximise the science and innovation aspects of events.
Micro-Renewables Targets
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to set national micro-renewable targets before November 2008; and if he will make a statement. [78895]
Malcolm Wicks: Section 4 of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 requires the Government to take a decision as to whether it would be appropriate to designate targets for microgeneration by November 2008. If considered appropriate, targets would then need to be set by March 2009.
We will be closely monitoring the development of the microgeneration market, assessing future trends and undertaking any further analysis and research required in order to take a decision on the suitability of a target within the designated time scales.
OM Energy Ltd.
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress the Department has made in relation to the trading activities of OM Energy Ltd.; what support the Government have provided for the company and its associated companies; and if he will make a statement. [79752]
Mr. McCartney: OM Energy is a research stage company and is one of a pipeline of early-stage companies being assisted by UK Trade and Investment’s Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP). The GEP, which aims to attract entrepreneurial talent and technologies based overseas to relocate and carry out business in the UK, has provided normal Dealmaker support including information and guidance to the scientists and founders on the following, during Phase 1 of the project:
Information on establishing a UK company
Establishing a UK bank account
Assigning the core patent to the UK company
Introductions to non-governmental private equity sources of seed capital for early-stage high-risk research projects
Filing for worldwide patents with UK patent agents
Introductions to the UK scientific community to award a contract to characterise the research
Information on British companies to procure specialist materials required.
Renewable Energy
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the potential electricity generating capacity of tidal lagoons in the Severn estuary. [76541]
Malcolm Wicks: Between 1978 and 1994 the Government supported the most comprehensive programme of research and development on tidal energy in the world at an overall cost in excess of £20 million. Part of those studies reported in Energy Paper 46 HMSO 1981 (ISBN 011 4109168 and 410919 2) evaluated two proposals for multiple tidal power lagoons in the Severn estuary.
Telephone Advice Lines
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many telephone advice lines his Department and its non-departmental public bodies support; how many telephone advisers each employs; and how much funding is provided by (a) his Department and its non-departmental public bodies, (b) other Government Departments, (c) the private sector and (d) the voluntary sector. [66581]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department’s central records do not contain the information to answer this question. Therefore, the Department of Trade and Industry could answer this question only at disproportionate cost.
Zimbabwe
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the sale of military equipment to the Zimbabwe Defence Force by Avient Ltd. [78639]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1886W.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC Licence Fee
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the final report of the House of Lords BBC Charter Review Committee, what steps she plans to take to ensure there is parliamentary scrutiny of the BBC licence fee bid. [79521]
Mr. Woodward: The level of the licence fee is set by regulations made under the Communications Act 2003, which must be laid before both Houses of Parliament before they can come into effect. The regulations are subject to negative resolution procedure, but the opportunity exists for any change to be debated by both Houses.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will include in the BBC licence fee settlement ring-fenced funding (a) to cover the costs of digital switchover and (b) to help the over-75s and other vulnerable groups with the costs of digital switchover. [79523]
Mr. Woodward: The Government are currently conducting a funding review to determine the level of the licence fee to apply from April 2007. The White Paper, “A public service for all: the BBC in the digital age”, sets out the BBC's role in Digital Switchover including helping to establish and fund a scheme to help the most vulnerable TV viewers through digital switchover. The Government will take this issue into account, alongside all other relevant factors, as part of the funding review.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has assessed the possible impact of the licence fee settlement delay on digital switchover; and if she will make a statement. [79574]
Mr. Woodward [holding answer 22 June 2006]: There is no delay in the licence fee settlement. The Government are currently conducting a funding review to determine the level of the licence fee to apply from April 2007; all relevant factors will be considered as part of the review. An announcement will be made later this year.
Cultural Services (Funding)
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what maximum amount of funding was available to local authorities from the cultural services block in each of the last five years; and what average amount was awarded in each year. [79905]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services Block is one of seven service blocks supported via formula grant. Formula grant comprises revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula police grant. Formula grant is an un-hypothecated block grant, i.e. authorities are able to use the money for any service. This means that it is not possible to say how much grant was provided for environmental, protective and cultural services.
Eveline Lowe School, Bermondsey
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will announce her decision on whether the application for listing for part of the Eveline Lowe school in Bermondsey, London SE1 has been granted. [80751]
Mr. Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received advice from English Heritage and will be making a decision shortly.
London Bombings
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting she has had with people severely injured in the London bombings. [77712]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 15 June 2006]: As Minister responsible for the aftercare of victims of major disasters, I have held meetings with around 150 survivors of the bombings, many of whom sustained physical injuries. These meetings have highlighted many important issues which we must learn from if we are to improve our response to major emergencies in the future. The lessons identified following the 7 July 2006, and the work we are engaging in to make sure things change in the future, will be outlined in a Government paper to be published in due course.
Tourist Attractions (Suffolk)
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which 10 tourist attractions in (a) Suffolk and (b) Bury St. Edmunds constituency attracted the largest number of visitors in each year since 1997. [79391]
Mr. Woodward: My Department does not maintain central records of visitors to tourist attractions. However, Visit Britain and its predecessor have previously carried out periodical surveys of regional attractions. Where data are available the estimated visitor numbers for the most popular attractions covering Suffolk and the Bury St. Edmunds constituency are set out in the following table.
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
| (1) No data | ||||||||
Defence
Afghanistan
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British troops killed and injured in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Sunday 11 June were evacuated by air or land; and if he will make a statement. [80526]
Des Browne: Following enemy action on Sunday 11 June, the Ministry of Defence was saddened to confirm the death of Captain Philippson and the injury of two other UK personnel. The injured personnel were evacuated by CH47 Chinook helicopter from the scene of the incident to the UK medical facility at Camp Bastion, Helmand Province.
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