HC Deb 10 May 1995 vol 259 cc513-6W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many staff are employed in business link(a) at his Department in London and (b) in business link centres around the United Kingdom. [22294]

Mr. Page

Forty-eight staff in my Department in London are employed directly in business link development. In addition a large number are involved indirectly in respect of the activities of business link partner organisations and the integration of DTI funded services into business links.

My Department does not keep information on the numbers of staff employed by business links or those employed by, or located by partner organisations and co-located within business links.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many inquiries for information were received by(a) business link and (b) the marketing information centre in the past 12 months. [22292]

Mr. Page

Information is not held centrally on the figures relating individual enquiries made to business link. However, my Department collects figures on the numbers of firms assisted in each quarter. Companies are recorded only once even though several enquiries may be made in the monitoring period.

During April and December 1994—the latest period for which figures are available—51,710 companies were assisted on at least one occasion.

In the 12 months April 1994 to March 1995 the Export Market Information Centre received 20,233 visitors, approximately 37,000 telephone calls and 1,343 written inquiries.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost, in the last year for which figures are available, of(a) business link and (b) the marketing information centre. [22295]

Mr. Page

In the financial year 1994–95 DTI contributed £13.1 million to the establishment of business link. This was in addition to contributions from partner organisations.

In the financial year 1994–95 the net cost of the export market information centre was £1.7 million.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a list of the business link centres in the United Kingdom. [22291]

Mr. Page

One hundred business link outlets are open in England:

  1. 1. Alnwick
  2. 2. Aykley Heads
  3. 3. Aylesbury
  4. 4. Barnsley
  5. 5. Barrow in Furness
  6. 6. Batley
  7. 7. Berwick upon Tweed
  8. 8. Birkenhead
  9. 9. Birmingham
  10. 10. Blyth
  11. 11. Bootle
  12. 12. Boston
  13. 13. Brighouse
  14. 14. Brunswick Dock
  15. 15. Carlisle
  16. 16. Central Devon
  17. 17. Chester
  18. 18. Chester le street
  19. 19. Coalville
  20. 20. Congleton
  21. 21. Coventry
  22. 515
  23. 22. Crewe
  24. 23. Derby
  25. 24. Derby Inner City
  26. 25. Derwentside
  27. 26. Doncaster
  28. 27. Dorset
  29. 28. Dudley
  30. 29. Durham City
  31. 30. Easington
  32. 31. East Manchester
  33. 32. Gainsborough
  34. 33. Gateshead
  35. 34. Gloucestershire
  36. 35. Grantham
  37. 36. Great Sutton
  38. 37. Halifax
  39. 38. Hereford
  40. 39. Hexham
  41. 40. Hinckley
  42. 41. Hoole Bridge
  43. 42. Huddersfield
  44. 43. Isle of Wight
  45. 44. Kendal
  46. 45. Knowsley
  47. 46. Leamington Spa
  48. 47. Leicester
  49. 48. Leominster
  50. 49. Lincoln
  51. 50. Liverpool
  52. 51. Loughborough
  53. 52. Louth
  54. 53. Macclesfield
  55. 54. Middlesborough
  56. 55. Malvern
  57. 56. Manchester (central)
  58. 57. Market Harborough
  59. 58. Melton Mowbray
  60. 59. Mount Pleasant
  61. 60. Newcastle upon Tyne
  62. 61. North Dorset
  63. 62. North Hertfordshire
  64. 63. North Tyneside
  65. 64. Nuneaton
  66. 65. Oakham
  67. 66. Oldbury
  68. 67. Oswestry
  69. 68. Pershore
  70. 69. Reading
  71. 70. Ross on Wye
  72. 71. Rotherham
  73. 72. St. Albans
  74. 73. Salford
  75. 74. Sedgefield
  76. 75. Skegness
  77. 76. Sleaford
  78. 77. Slough
  79. 78. Southport
  80. 79. South Tyneside
  81. 80. South Devon
  82. 81. Spalding
  83. 82. Stratford upon Avon
  84. 83. Sunderland
  85. 84. Swadlincote
  86. 516
  87. 85. Tameside
  88. 86. Teesdale
  89. 87. Telford
  90. 88. Trafford Park
  91. 89. Tyneside
  92. 90. Walsall
  93. 91. Wansbeck
  94. 92. Wearvalley (2 outlets)
  95. 94. West Cornwall
  96. 95. Weymouth
  97. 96. Whitehaven
  98. 97. Widnes
  99. 98. Wigan
  100. 99. Worcester
  101. 100. Workington

Separate arrangements are in place for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.