§ Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding has been given by her Department to the Rover Task Force in each year since it was created. [142123]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information requested is as follows: 119W
Funding for Rover Task Force recommendations by financial year (£000) 2000–01 110,238,718 2001–02 26,981,106 2002–03 311,318,157 2003–04 320,935,848 1 Interim Proposals 2 Interim Proposals, Modernisation and Diversification 3 Modernisation, Diversification and Regeneration We provided the substantial amount of £129 million to implement the recommendations of the Rover Task Force. Some £11 million has been spent on actions which needed to be taken immediately, for example to support the automotive supply chain. A further £17 million has supported the Modernisation of the automotive supply chain and nearly £20 million has been used for Diversification, to support and encourage businesses to engage in new activity. In addition £22 million has been agreed to create three High Tech corridors to attract and develop more high tech and high value added businesses. Overall up to March 2003 £28 million of these amounts has actually been spent and further £21 million is expected to be spent in 2003–04.
We also agreed an overall sum of £2 million to kickstart initiatives in the North Staffordshire area. £10 million was made available to Advantage West Midlands to buy a strategic site in Birmingham for future industrial development. In addition £42 million has been provided for good quality Regional Selective Assistance projects in the region. Some £5 million of the actual £129 million is not yet allocated to specific.