§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will give a breakdown of the expenditure on promotion for the energy programme for(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98. [1006]
§ Mr. BattleNet expenditure on promotion within the energy programmes was approximately £3.5 million in 1995£96 and £2.7 million in 1996–97. Current plans for 1997–98 are approximately £3.2 million. The expenditure relates to new and renewable and clean coal technology and the oil and gas supplies industries.
The current plans will be included in the Comprehensive Spending Review, announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 11 June 1997, under which the Government will be considering the balance of activities within the spending plans it inherited to ensure that they reflect the Government's priorities.
The promotion budget handled by the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals Supplies Office (0S0), which was £1.2 million in 1995–96 and £0.97 million in 1996–97 with current plans for 1997–98 of £1.5 million, is primarily used for export promotion on trade fairs, missions and seminars in the oil and gas supplies industries. The expenditure within the new and renewable and clean coal areas, which was £2.3 million in 1995–96 and £1.7 million in 1996–97 with current plans for 1997–98 of £1.7 million, is on technology transfer activities including commercialisation, export promotion and disseminating information to industry in publications, seminars and workshops.