23 Apr 2001 : Column: 1W
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 23 April 2001
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
A/F Protein Inc.
Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if (a) he and (b) officials met representatives of A/F Protein Inc. of Waltham, Massachussets, USA; [157756]
- (2) what representations (a) he and (b) officials have received from representatives of A/F Protein Inc. of Waltham, Massachussets; and what his response was. [157794]
Mr. Alan Johnson: So far as I am aware, no meetings have taken place and no representations have been received.
Departmental Policies (Eccles)
Mr. Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Eccles constituency, the effects on Eccles of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [158062]
Mr. Caborn: This Department does not maintain statistical information at constituency level.
Your constituents, like many others throughout Greater Manchester, have benefited from my Department's Employment Rights policies which include national minimum wage, working time directive, part time working regulations and improved maternity leave.
In addition, Eccles is eligible for Enterprise Grant Scheme funding.
In the North West region, my Department's policies have contributed to growth in employment by 107,000 and a fall in unemployment by 63,000; reductions in youth unemployment by 75 per cent. and long term unemployment by 54 per cent.
Departmental Policies (Cannock Chase)
Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Cannock Chase constituency, the effects on Cannock Chase of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [158064]
Mr. Caborn: In the period in question, the following offers of assistance have been made to businesses in the Cannock Chase local authority district.
- (1) Six offers of Regional Selective Assistance totalling £244,000. These offers have brought forward fixed capital investment of £2.48 million for projects which will create 80 jobs.
- (2) Three offers of Enterprise Grant have been made since the scheme was introduced on 1 March 2000. These offers involve grant of £124,000 and fixed capital investment of £889,500.
23 Apr 2001 : Column: 2W
- (3) An offer of £45,000 assistance under the Smart (innovation grant) scheme towards a feasibility project involving total costs of £87,453.
- (4) 919 businesses have been assisted by Business Link Staffordshire--75 having received advice from the International Trade Team, of these over 30 have commissioned reports via British Embassies and Consulates in order to obtain tailored information to assist in the development of overseas business. Eight companies have benefited from direct financial support under the Export Voucher Scheme which provides them with a contribution towards using professional outside support in aspects of overseas trade. In addition 20 companies regularly use the Export Documentation Service from the Chamber of Commerce.
The DTI-funded West Midlands Regional Supply Office (RSO) has assisted 128 companies in the Cannock Chase area since 1997. The RSO is now incorporated into the RDA, Advantage West Midlands.
The Inward Investment Directorate of Advantage West Midlands reports the following:
- since 1997 there have been 14 investments into the Cannock Chase local authority area, creating 306 new jobs and safeguarding a further 2,359;
- there have been two inward investments this year safeguarding 294 jobs;
- in total there are 25 overseas owned companies in Cannock Chase employing 2,886.
Special Advisers (Overseas Visits)
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001 (a) departmental and (b) non- departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity. [158554]
Kyoto Protocol
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take action under Article 20 of the World Trade Organisation in respect of the use of trade constraints to protect the environment following the decision of the United States Administration to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. [158428]
Mr. Caborn: The Government do not believe that trade sanctions would be a helpful way of tackling the United States on its approach to climate change. We are keen to maintain a constructive dialogue with the US since it is important that they remain engaged in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Post Offices
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) Crown post offices and (b) sub-post offices (i) closed and (ii) opened in each year from 1979 to the last year for which figures are available. [158303]
Mr. Alan Johnson: The information requested is set out in the table. Separate figures for openings and closures are not available, but the table shows closure figures net of openings for each year.
23 Apr 2001 : Column: 3W
| Year Ending | Crown Offices | Sub Post Offices | Total | Closures in Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 1978 | 1,579 | 21,342 | 22,921 | -- |
| 31 March 1979 | 1,580 | 21,213 | 22,793 | 128 |
| 31 March 1980 | 1,583 | 21,056 | 22,639 | 154 |
| 31 March 1981 | 1,581 | 20,894 | 22,475 | 164 |
| 31 March 1982 | 1,573 | 20,832 | 22,405 | 70 |
| 31 March 1983 | 1,567 | 20,734 | 22,301 | 104 |
| 31 March 1984 | 1,559 | 20,499 | 22,058 | 243 |
| 31 March 1985 | 1,553 | 20,110 | 21,663 | 395 |
| 31 March 1986 | 1,509 | 19,796 | 21,305 | 358 |
| 31 March 1987 | 1,503 | 19,708 | 21,211 | 94 |
| 31 March 1988 | 1,499 | 19,572 | 21,071 | 140 |
| 31 March 1989 | 1,493 | 19,537 | 21,030 | 41 |
| 31 March 1990 | 1,339 | 19,532 | 20,871 | 159 |
| 31 March 1991 | 1,167 | 19,471 | 20,638 | 233 |
| 31 March 1992 | 1,019 | 19,141 | 20,160 | 478 |
| 31 March 1993 | 917 | 19,041 | 19,958 | 202 |
| 31 March 1994 | 800 | 18,982 | 19,782 | 176 |
| 31 March 1995 | 699 | 18,908 | 19,607 | 175 |
| 31 March 1996 | 653 | 18,761 | 19,414 | 193 |
| 31 March 1997 | 606 | 18,645 | 19,251 | 163 |
| 31 March 1998 | 601 | 18,407 | 19,008 | 243 |
| 31 March 1999 | 600 | 18,175 | 18,775 | 233 |
| 31 March 2000 | 598 | 17,795 | 18,393 | 382 |
North West Development Agency
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many major companies have located their sites in the North West Region since the formation of the North West Development Agency; and if he will make a statement. [158401]
Mr. Caborn: My Department does not collect information about companies locating in particular regions. An answer to your specific question would therefore be purely anecdotal and inevitably unrepresentative of the true picture.
However, the North West Development Agency records investments made by overseas owned companies. Since the Agency's formation, there have been 52 investments in the North West region which have each created or safeguarded 100 or more jobs.
Sub-post Offices
Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices closed between 1 April 2000 and 31 March. [158341]
Mr. Alan Johnson: Full year figures for the year 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 are not yet available from the Post Office Network.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the loss to the economy of Gloucestershire of the postponement and cancellation of the Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival. [158345]
Mr. Caborn: The Government are aware that the cancellation of high profile events, such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the south west which generate millions of pound in revenue in normal years, is contributing to the financial difficulties of businesses affected by Foot and Mouth disease (FMD).
23 Apr 2001 : Column: 4W
The Government are constantly monitoring the financial impact of FMD in the country, and has already announced a range of measures to assist businesses through immediate financial difficulties. These measures including rate relief, deferment of taxes, and extensions to the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme.
Departmental Performance Targets
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the attainment of the performance targets set for his Department in the Comprehensive Spending Review published in December 1998. [158533]
Mr. Byers: Information on the Department's progress against the Public Service Agreement Targets set as part of the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review has recently been published in the Department's annual Expenditure Plans Report for 2001-02, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. (Cm 5112, March 2001).
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |