Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the level of Government financial support in each year since 1990 to companies involved in environmental technology. [15533]
§ Mr. PageCompanies involved in environmental technology may apply for support under a range of general regional, export promotion and innovation programmes funded by the Government. The Office of Science and Technology's funding of the research councils is also relevant to the needs of these companies. Spending under these general arrangements on projects relevant to environmental technology companies cannot be readily identified.
Government funding under programmes directed specifically at environmental technology totalled £176 million in the period 1 April 1990 to 31 December 1995. Figures for individual years are not readily available.
In addition, the environmental technology best practice programme, run jointly by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment, aims to benefit both suppliers and users of environmental technologies and techniques through encouraging United Kingdom firms to take up measures that will improve both 31W their competitiveness and their environmental performance. The programme budget is £16 million, for the five years to 1998–99. Spending under the programme was £1.99 million in its launch year 1994–95, and &£2.36 million between 1 April and 31 December 1995.