§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much financial assistance has been given to the sensors technology, through the LINK sensors for industrial applications programme in each of the last five years; what support is planned in the next two years; when the programme is next due to report; what assessment has taken place of the effectiveness of the programme; whether the programme has a website; and if she will make a statement. [78264]
§ Ms HewittFinancial support under the LINK Sensors and Sensor Systems for Industrial Applications Programme for the last five years was as follows:
Year Spend £k 1997–98 244 1998–99 727 1999–2000 1,187 2000–01 1,343 2001–02 1,237 Predicted spend for 2002–03 and 2003–04 is £1,300k and £1,000k respectively. Further support for sensors technology will be available under the new LINK Basic Technologies for Industrial Applications Programme, which was announced by my noble Friend, the Minister for Science and Innovation on 26 July 2002.
The next progress report to the LINK Directorate on the Programme is due in October 2003. Progress on the programme and individual projects is monitored continuously, but it is too early to carry out a full evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme as only a few projects have been completed and are now moving towards commercial exploitation. However, the research has already given rise to 80 refereed scientific papers and 12 patent applications. Two seminars have been held at which progress on projects has been reported. The programme website address is: www.dti.gov.uk/sensors. I have no plans to make a statement about this programme.