§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress has been made towards the target set in 1998 for achievement in 1999 to 2002 to secure improvement in performance against a set of competitiveness indicators to be developed and published annually from 1999. [83599]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 26 November 2002]: The most recent 'UK Productivity and Competitiveness Indicators' were published in October 2002. They show that there has been progress in terms of macroeconomic stability, literacy and numeracy, the competitive framework, and the science base. However, weaknesses remain in terms of intermediate skills and innovation performance. This is why the Government has implemented a series of measures to improve performance in both areas, including the R and D tax credit for large firms, extra resources for DTI innovation schemes, the Employer Training Pilots to boost skill development and the review of adult learning.