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28 Jan 2004 : Column 370W—continued
Royal Navy Projects
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the Royal Navy's (a) Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft and (b) Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon projects. [149542]
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Mr. Ingram: The Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) programme is currently nearing the end of its Assessment Phase. A Main Gate investment decision is expected later this year when, as with any other programme, the decision on Demonstration and Manufacture will be made, with the capability planned to be phased into service around the turn of the decade.
The Future Air to Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW) programme remains early in its concept phase. This includes studies into a range of solutions to provide a future Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) capability, superseding the Sea Skua missile currently carried by the Royal Navy Lynx helicopters. A final investment decision will be made at the programme Main Gate, currently planned for the second half of this decade, with the capability entering service during the first half of the next decade.
Security Passes
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. [147978]
Mr. Caplin: Between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2003, personnel employed at MOD establishments reported 2,012 passes lost and 90 stolen. During the same period, personnel employed at establishments of MOD agencies reported 882 passes lost and 23 stolen. The passes carry a photograph of the holder and have other features that inhibit their fraudulent replication. Therefore, the loss of such passes, in isolation, is not assessed to pose an increased threat, although this is kept under constant review.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
National Power Supply
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she is taking to ensure that the UK national power supply is protected from sabotage. [151257]
Mr. Timms: The Government provides protective security advice to key sectors and installations that are critical to the country's economic and social well-being. Our experience of domestic terrorist attacks over the past 30 years has shown that these arrangements have made an effective contribution to the counter-terrorism effort.
We provide tailored advice to a variety of industries, as well as to individual companies and public sector organisations, about how to make contingency arrangements and provide protective security. This advice comes from the Security Service and other sources.
This is an ongoing process and, for understandable reasons, it would be inappropriate to give details of what advice is provided to which organisations.
Bio-diesel
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information she has collated
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on the number of forecourts in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland which sell bio-diesel. [151439]
Mr. Timms: The Department of Trade and Industry does not record the number of forecourts which sell bio-diesel. However, from discussions with biofuels suppliers we estimate the following:
- (a) Scotland—13
- (b) England—116
- (c) Wales—0
- (d) Northern Ireland—7
It is worth noting that additionally a significant proportion of biodiesel is supplied in bulk directly to the commercial market.
Broadband
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 15 January 2004, Official Report, column 845W, on broadband, when she will publish a report on the work and findings of the joint departmental Rural Broadband Team. [150770]
Mr. Timms: The role of the joint DTI/Defra Rural Broadband Unit is to facilitate understanding and promote partnerships between the telecommunications industry, Government agencies and community organisations to spread information and best practice. For instance, the Unit will shortly be publishing a 'Rural Broadband Toolkit' to help rural communities and businesses understand the issues surrounding access to broadband.
The Unit works as part of the wider DTI Broadband Unit and will not be producing a report specifically on its own work.
Civil Servants
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much space, expressed in square metres, the Department occupies for the offices of civil servants in (a) central London and (b) Greater London. [150273]
Ms Hewitt: The Department currently occupies 80,000 sq metres in central London and an additional 7,000 sq m in Greater London. This excludes agencies but includes space occupied by the Department in buildings where other Government Departments have the lead responsibility.
Competition Commission Report (Littlewoods)
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she proposes to publish her decisions arising from the Competition Commission report on the proposed GUS/Reality and Littlewoods Mail Order/Home Trading organisations. [150229]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 26 January 2004]: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 22 January 2004, Official Report, column 1453.
Innovation Funding
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down how
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innovation funding in the areas of (a) industrial exploitation of science, (b) support for competitiveness, (c) space, (d) technical and design infrastructure, (e) support for construction industry, (f) expert advice and other expenditure and (g) invest to save projects, as set out in her departmental report 2003, was allocated in 2003–04; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. [147804]
Ms Hewitt: Successive departmental reports have provided breakdowns and explanations of my Department's innovation expenditure, including on Space and Civil Aerospace Research and Development
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('CARAD'), before and since the change in the innovation budget structure in 2001–02.
The following table is based on information published in the 1999 and subsequent departmental reports, where more details and explanation can be found. It includes expenditure on 'Support of the construction industry' under 'Industrial Exploitation of Science' and 'Support for Competitiveness' from 2002–03 (following a machinery of government transfer of responsibility in 2001) and on the Invest to Save Budget funded biotechnology portal, 'i-bio.gov.uk', under 'Support for Competitiveness'.
| 1997–98 outturn | 1998–99 outturn | 1999–2000 outturn | 2000–01 working provision(7) | 2001–02 outturn | 2002–03 working provision(8) | 2003–04 plans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge transfer and collaboration | 39.3 | 30.5 | 32.7 | 47.2 | — | — | — |
| Innovation promotion and support | 78.0 | 61.2 | 56.1 | 66.8 | — | — | — |
| Standards and National Measurement System | 56.6 | 60.0 | 60.4 | 61.7 | — | — | — |
| Sector Challenge | 4.6 | 11.5 | 10.4 | 4.3 | — | — | — |
| CARAD | 24.6 | 21.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | — | — | — |
| Space(9) | 102.4 | 87.5 | 88.2 | 90.0 | 87.7 | 85.0 | 82.5 |
| Industrial exploitation of science | — | — | — | — | 67.9 | 86.8 | 94.1 |
| Support for competitiveness | — | — | — | — | 60.3 | 73.0 | 73.4 |
| Technical and design infrastructure | — | — | — | — | 69.9 | 73.7 | 89.4 |
| Expert advice and other expenditure | — | — | — | — | 7.7 | 3.8 | 2.7 |
| Total | 305.5 | 271.7 | 267.8 | 290.0 | 293.5 | 322.3 | 342.1 |
(7) Budget structure changed from 2001–02.
(8) 2002–03 outturn will be reported in the 2004 departmental report.
(9) Excludes Office of Science and Technology expenditure on space (except for 2003–04 plans, which include BNSC budgets transferring to the Science budget from 2003–04).
Source:
1999–2003 departmental reports (Cm 4211, March 1999, Table 1.5; Cm 4611, April 2000, Figure 3.7; Cm 5112, March 2001, Figure 4.5; Cm 5416, June 2002, Figure 4.5; and Cm 5916, May 2003, Figure 5.2)
Miners' Compensation
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many miners' compensation claims for respiratory diseases (a) have been made, (b) have been settled and (c) are outstanding in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside and (iii) the UK in each year since 1997. [149913]
Nigel Griffiths: Claims are dealt with on a priority basis, those from the eldest and sickest living miners and their widows being deal with first. Claims that are outstanding may be a lower priority or they may have an outstanding policy issue that is preventing settlement of the claim.
| Year claimregistered | Claim receipts | Total settlements including denied/withdrawn (as of 16 January 2004) | Number outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrow | |||
| 1997(10) | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| 1998(10) | 93 | 55 | 38 |
| 1999(10) | 140 | 75 | 65 |
| 2000 | 92 | 45 | 47 |
| 2001 | 191 | 59 | 132 |
| 2002(11) | 128 | 19 | 109 |
| 2003(11) | 415 | 3 | 412 |
| 2004 | 36 | — | 36 |
| Total | 1,104 | 261 | 843 |
| South Tyneside | |||
| 1997(10) | 15 | 8 | 7 |
| 1998(10) | 298 | 162 | 136 |
| 1999(10) | 344 | 172 | 172 |
| 2000 | 276 | 135 | 141 |
| 2001 | 560 | 180 | 380 |
| 2002(11) | 371 | 53 | 318 |
| 2003(11) | 1,102 | 18 | 1,084 |
| 2004 | 99 | — | 99 |
| Total | 3,065 | 728 | 2,337 |
| United Kingdom | |||
| 1997(10) | 3,219 | 2,258 | 961 |
| 1998(10) | 53,544 | 35,977 | 17,567 |
| 1999(10) | 28,711 | 17,288 | 11,423 |
| 2000 | 36,665 | 18,617 | 18,048 |
| 2001 | 44,178 | 18,279 | 25,899 |
| 2002(11) | 39,560 | 10,216 | 29,344 |
| 2003(11) | 168,574 | 3,000 | 165,574 |
| 2004 | 17,097 | 29 | 17,068 |
| Total | 391,548 | 105,664 | 285,884 |
(10) The Department was not able to process claims until after the signing of the Claims Handling Agreement, agreed with the claimants' solicitors, on 24 September 1999.
(11) Estate claims put on hold as a lower priority, in agreement with claimants solicitors.
Notes:
1. South Tyneside consists of the Jarrow and South Shields constituencies.
2. Constituency figures can be found on the DTI website www.dti. gov.uk/coalhealth The information is complied in the middle of the month and shows figures for the end of the previous month.
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