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6 Feb 2007 : Column 886W—continued


Table 3 Priority 3c (CHP) projects recommended for funding
Lead company Project Country Award (£)

Lowry Renaissance Limited

Titanic Mill Biomass CHP Project

England

100,000


Burma

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what process the Government would have to follow to ban British companies from investing in Burma. [118377]

Mr. McCartney: The Government have a long-standing policy of discouraging British firms from trading with or investing in Burma. We offer no commercial services to companies wishing to trade or invest there and British firms who inquire about trade with Burma are informed of the grave political situation and the regime’s atrocious human rights record.

Very few UK companies choose to invest in Burma because of the regime’s economic mismanagement and corrupt business climate. We believe that multilateral sanctions are more effective and for this reason we support the EU Common Position.

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government have the power to stop British companies providing goods and services to the (a) military regime in Burma, (b) state-owned companies in Burma and (c) companies owned or controlled by business people linked to the military regime in Burma. [118381]

Mr. McCartney: The Government have a long-standing policy of discouraging British firms from trading with or investing in Burma. We offer no commercial services to companies wishing to trade or invest there. British firms who inquire about trade with Burma are informed of the grave political situation and the regime’s atrocious human rights record. We have consistently supported measures that target those responsible for the regime’s policies.

Trade policy is the competence of the European Commission, and therefore any action would need to be taken at Community level.

Very few UK companies choose to invest in Burma because of the regime’s economic mismanagement and corrupt business climate. We believe that multilateral sanctions are more effective and for this reason we support the EU Common Position.

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government have the power to ban the export of luxury items to Burma. [118380]

Mr. McCartney: Trade policy is the competence of the European Commission, and therefore any action would need to be taken at Community level.

Very few UK companies choose to invest in Burma because of the regime’s economic mismanagement and corrupt business climate. We believe that multilateral sanctions are more effective and for this reason we support the EU Common Position.

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the extent of British trade with Burma; and which British companies are the main exporters to Burma. [118356]

Mr. McCartney: The Government have a long-standing policy of not encouraging British firms to trade with or invest in Burma. We offer no commercial services or support to companies wishing to trade with or invest in Burma. British companies who enquire about trade with Burma are informed of the grave political situation, the regime's atrocious record on human rights and the country's dire economic prospects.

For the period January to November 2006, the UK's exports of goods to Burma amounted to £3.2 million. This is a fall of 66.9 per cent. over the same period in 2005 when UK exports were £9.7 million. We do not maintain details of British companies exports to overseas markets.

Very few UK companies choose to invest in Burma because of the regime's economic mismanagement and corrupt business climate. We believe that multilateral sanctions are more effective and for this reason we support the EU Common Position.

Business Start-ups

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses have started up on average per month in each region of the UK since January 1995. [118949]


6 Feb 2007 : Column 887W

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business start-ups and closures.
6 Feb 2007 : Column 888W
DTI data on the average number of VAT registrations per month in each region of the UK from 1995 to 2005 are shown in the table.

Average number of VAT registrations per month for each region in the UK, 1995 to 2005( 1)
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

United Kingdom

13,479

13,838

15,223

15,184

14,743

14,909

14,168

14,743

15,935

15,315

14,827

North East

335

335

338

342

349

356

348

366

408

372

375

North West

1,328

1,340

1,475

1,462

1,406

1,430

1,374

1,449

1,584

1,507

1,458

Yorkshire and the Humber

920

945

991

984

978

1,000

972

1,037

1,153

1,088

1,058

East Midlands

873

889

955

960

932

968

938

998

1,070

1,032

1,001

West Midlands

1,098

1,103

l,215

1,228

1,204

l,216

l,177

1,217

l,318

1,263

1,218

East

1,323

1,343

1,528

1,462

1,404

1,469

1,388

1,485

1,561

1,485

1,483

London

2,567

2,684

2,985

3,141

3,018

3,028

2,783

2,746

2,979

2,943

2,826

South East

2,183

2,235

2,517

2,480

2,402

2,403

2,271

2,388

2,563

2,400

2,308

South West

1,119

1,195

1,325

1,306

1,278

1,282

1,205

1,296

1,385

1,291

1,243

England

11,745

12,068

13,328

13,363

12,969

13,151

12,455

12,981

14,021

13,380

12,970

Wales

490

511

526

514

510

524

502

536

595

587

536

Scotland

937

949

1,040

995

959

945

915

928

998

998

960

Northern Ireland

308

310

329

312

305

288

296

299

320

350

361

(1 )Estimates of the average number of VAT registrations per month have been produced by dividing the number in each year by 12. Source: SBS Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2005, available from http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vat and the Library of the House.

VAT registration data do not capture all business start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. In the UK as a whole, only 1.8 million out of a total of 4.3 million enterprises (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2005.

China: Nuclear Plants

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the value of the contract with China to provide new nuclear plants for which BNFL was competing; and what steps his Department took to assist in attempts to win this contract for a British company. [112549]

Malcolm Wicks: None. The contract negotiations with the Chinese to provide reactors were a matter primarily for Westinghouse and new owners Toshiba. Negotiations were led by Westinghouse, initially under BNFL's ownership/governance and then Toshiba's.

Compensation Payments

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2007, Official Report, columns 730-31W, on compensation payments, what the nature was of the inefficiency of the person dismissed on those grounds; in what area the dismissed person worked; and if he will make a statement. [118866]

Jim Fitzpatrick: I am unable to provide any further details of the individual dismissed on the grounds of inefficiency, as it may be possible to identify the person concerned from the information provided. The release of such information could constitute a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2007, Official Report, columns 730-31W, on compensation payments, what property was involved in each case where a payment was made for loss or damage to personal property; and why the Department was liable in each case. [118894]

Jim Fitzpatrick: There were 26 compensation payments for loss or damage to personal property totalling £4,927.28. It would entail disproportionate cost to provide details of the property or damage in each individual case but the reasons are categorised as follows:

£

Lost property

614.26

Damage to clothing

71.74

Robbery

249.23

Damage to property

885.67

Damage to suitcases

290.50

Stolen property or clothing

131.88

Stolen money

803.94

Damage to vehicles

1,776.23

Medical assessment travel costs

103.83


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