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19 Feb 2007 : Column 533W—continued
Preparatory site works are under way and the project is scheduled for completion in July 2009.
Recycling: Peterborough
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he expects the public inquiry into proposals to build a waste recycling facility under the auspices of Peterborough Renewable Energy Limited at Storey’s Bar Road, Peterborough, to be held before the end of 2007; and if he will make a statement. [121583]
Malcolm Wicks: I expect the public inquiry to be held before the end of 2007.
Regional Development Agencies
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry where each of the offices of the regional development agencies which are located outside the United Kingdom are based; and what the cost of running each office was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [119539]
Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 January 2007, Official Report, column 734W.
Research: Grants
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value was of grants provided to the (a) micro projects, (b) research projects, (c) development projects and (d) exceptional development projects categories in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006; and what the total value was of the contributions to project costs made by companies which qualified for grants under each category in each year. [119948]
Margaret Hodge: The value of grant for research and development awards in each year from 2004 to 2006 is shown in the following table, together with the minimum level of investment required from recipient businesses:
| Grant for research and development | ||||||||
| £ | ||||||||
| Micro projects | Research projects | Development projects | Exceptional projects | |||||
| Grant | Minimum private sector contribution | Grant | Minimum private sector contribution | Grant | Minimum private sector contribution | Grant | Minimum private sector contribution | |
Retail Openings and Closures
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) supermarkets, (b) national chain stores and (c) independent shops (i) opened and (ii) closed in Somerset in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority area. [112195]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 1 February 2007]: The Department does not hold specific data on the trading status, ownership or overall numbers of retail companies or individual stores at a regional or sub-regional level.
The Office of Fair Trading report ‘Grocery Market: proposed decision to make a market investigation reference’, published 9 March 2006, contained a table detailing changes in the retail sector across the UK between 2001 and 2005.
Seals: Imports
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider introducing a ban on the import of seal skin products; and if he will make a statement. [121265]
Mr. McCartney: I made an announcement by ministerial statement on this issue on 8 February 2007, Official Report, column 44WS.
Service Charges
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what legislation regulates service charges added on to a bill at restaurants; when this legislation was last amended; what recent representations he has received about this issue; and if he will make a statement. [111703]
Mr. McCartney: The Price Marking (Food and Drink) Services Order 2003 requires restaurants, pubs and similar establishments to provide certain information to customers on menus and price lists. This legislation has not been amended since it came into force. Restaurants are also bound by the general rules for traders on misleading price indications contained in the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
Representations on the issue of tips and the national minimum wage were made in an early-day motion on 28 November 2005, and in a Private Member’s Bill, tabled in 2003, aimed at ensuring all service charges/tips paid by customers should belong to the workers in addition to the minimum wage.
Technology Strategy Board: Grants
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value was of grants provided by the Technology Strategy Board to small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; and what the total value was of contributions made by SMEs qualifying for Technology Strategy Board grants in each of those years. [119946]
Malcolm Wicks: The total value of grants offered by the Technology Programme in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006 to small and medium enterprises was £31.8 million, £22.7 million and £19.6 million respectively towards their overall eligible project costs of £89.0 million, £53.4 million and £43.5 million respectively. These sums included modest contributions from the Research Councils and Defra.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value was of grants provided by the Technology Strategy Board to companies other than small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; and what the total value was of contributions to project costs made by those companies in each year. [120027]
Malcolm Wicks: The total value of grants offered by the Technology Programme in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and 2006 to companies other than small and medium- sized enterprises was £73.6 million, £114.1 million and £25.0 million respectively towards their overall eligible project costs of £178.5 million, £277.1 million and £53.1 million respectively. These sums included modest contributions from the Research Councils and Defra, but do not include associated allocations from regional development agencies and devolved administrations towards these projects.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value was of grants provided by the Technology Strategy Board to universities in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; and what the total value was of contributions to project costs made by those universities in each year. [120028]
Malcolm Wicks: The total value of grants offered by the Technology Programme in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and 2006 to universities and other higher educational establishments was £53.7 million, £40.9 million and £9.8 million respectively towards their overall eligible project costs of £64.5 million, £54.0 million and £14.0 million respectively. These sums included modest contributions from the Research Councils and Defra.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value was of (a) grants to and (b) related contributions from (i) organisations which are not small or medium-sized enterprises, (ii) large companies and (iii) universities which qualified for awards from the Technology Strategy Board in each year since 2004. [121385]
Malcolm Wicks: The total value of grants offered by the Technology Programme in 2004, 2005 and 2006 to (i) organisations which are not small or medium-sized enterprises, (ii) large companies and (iii) universities was £4.7 million, £4.2 million and £1.3 million respectively towards their overall eligible project costs of £10.1 million, £6.5 million and £2.8 million respectively. These sums included modest contributions from the Research Councils and Defra. These organisations are almost exclusively private sector research and technology organisations.
Trade Agreements: Developing Countries
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the World Trade Organisation Doha Round talks; and if he will make a statement. [119673]
Mr. McCartney: The Government remain fully committed to securing an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). In order to achieve this objective, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and I and other ministerial colleagues have had regular contacts with both the EU Trade Commissioner and our EU counterparts.
Northern Ireland
Air Ambulance Services
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment his Department has made of the merits of funding an air ambulance for Northern Ireland. [120430]
Paul Goggins: The Department currently has no plans to fund an air ambulance service. A Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) feasibility study published in 2004, which was commissioned by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Health and Children, concluded that, other than for inter-hospital transfers, there was no clear advantage in helicopter emergency medical services. Current policy is to develop ground ambulance services and the Department is working with the four Health and Social Services Boards and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service in this regard.
Air Pollution: Northern Ireland
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the (a) total carbon emissions and (b) total carbon emissions per capita in each district council area in the Province in each of the last three years. [121632]
David Cairns: The Defra report on Local and Regional Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Estimates for 2004 in the UK, published on 27 November 2006, provides a regional breakdown of carbon emissions per capita. This report includes a breakdown per district council area for Northern Ireland. The figures contained in this report refer only to 2004, the latest year for which data are available.
A summary of data contained in the report are shown in the following table:
| End User Local and Regional Estimates of Carbon Emissions 2004, CO 2 Emissions (kt CO 2 ) 2004 | ||
| District council area | Total net emissions | Net emissions per capita |
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