§ 23. Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the new innovation unit within his Department.
§ Mr. LeighI am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that DTI's innovation unit, launched last October by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, is proceeding well with its task of promoting innovation as the key to wealth creation. On 18 December last year my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the appointment of five top business men to the unit. All five have hands-on experience of innovation in industry and will use that experience to deal directly with firms, higher education institutes, schools and local media.
§ 32. Mr. Patrick ThompsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from business men about the introduction by his Department of the Spur scheme, for innovation by small and medium-sized enterprises.
§ Mr. LeighBusiness response to Spur (Support for Products Under Research) has been most positive and to date 90 offers of grant have been made to companies throughout Great Britain. The scheme has also been warmly welcomed by the Confederation of British Industry, the independent Advisory Council on Science and Technology (ACOST) and the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology.