§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down how funding for the Spectrum Efficiency Scheme has been allocated since the scheme's inception; and what amounts have been allocated in each year since 1997. [147793]
§ Mr. TimmsArrangements for the Spectrum Efficiency Scheme were agreed between DTI and Treasury in 2002. Only one year of funding for 2003–04 was agreed at the time owing to the transfer of the Radiocommunications Agency's functions into Ofcom.
The Spectrum Efficiency Scheme had an annual budget of £5 million in 2003–04 as agreed in the 2000 Spending Review. There are two components to this budget; (1) compensation payments for spectrum replanning and (2) research.
No compensation payments were made during 2003–04 but research contracts were let to the value of £2,866,000.
Details of the contracts awarded in 2003–04 are available on the Ofcom website(http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/rahome.hto
A call for expressions of interest in the research element of the 2004–05 Spectrum Efficiency Scheme has just been announced by Ofcom. The budget of £5 million is expected to be shared between compensation payments for spectrum replanning, and research.
1046Wbelow incorporate those in Annex Bl on page 207 of the Report, including funding allocated as Other Support for Small Business.