HC Deb 12 February 2001 vol 363 cc17-8W
Charlotte Atkins

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency, the effects on Staffordshire, Moorlands of his Departments policies and actions(a) since 2 May 1997 and (b) in the 12 months ending on 1 May 1997. [149191]

Mr. Byers

In the periods in question, the following amounts of grant were offered to, businesses in the Staffordshire, Moorlands local authority district:

  1. (a) since 2 May 1997: £44,639 under the Smart (innovation grant) scheme;
  2. (b) in the 12 months ending 1 May 1997: £28,080 under the Smart scheme.

These were to assist small businesses to develop new products and processes. It is not possible to state the impact they would have had on the economy of the area. From 1 March 2000 businesses in the area have also been eligible for Enterprise Grants.

In addition, I announced a number of measures in August 2000 to benefit the area, including £1.6 million funding for the Ceramics Industry Forum.

Latest Office for National Statistics estimates show that, since the introduction of the national minimum wage in April 1999, there has been a direct and beneficial impact on the pay of the lowest paid workers in the west Midlands. The minimum wage benefits some 130,000 workers and their families in the west Midlands. No estimates are available for parliamentary constituencies. The latest data also show that it has helped close the gap between the highest and lowest earners and helped reduce the differential between mens and womens pay. This has been achieved without any discernible adverse impact on the economy.

Since November 1998, 3.1 million workers across the UK have benefited from the entitlement to four weeks paid annual leave. No estimates are available for parliamentary constituency or region.

We estimate that 38,000 female employees in the west Midlands give birth each year. All of these who have been employed for longer than six months with their current employer will now benefit from enhanced maternity leave, as introduced on 15 December 1999. There are no estimates available for Parliamentary constituencies.

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