HC Deb 18 July 2001 vol 372 cc268-9W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance his Department is planning to help the chemicals and man-made fibres industries. [4647]

Mr. Wilson

[holding answer 17 July 2001]: The chemicals industry is undergoing radical restructuring through divestment and acquisition, which has prompted a review of the Department's analysis and strategies towards the sector. This includes the development with industry of a learning and skills strategy; a programme to promote the spread of best practice; support for chemical industry cluster initiatives in several parts of the country; and a new programme to support chemicals inward investment from North America, which we have initiated with regional partners and InvestUK. The Department also has a programme of activities to help promote research and development, and support for the transfer of science and technology.

To help support this activity, the Department contributed around £4.6 million in 2000–01 to a number of programmes designed to improve the competitiveness of the chemicals and man-made fibres industries. This included the establishment of an Industry Forum for the chemicals sector to help improve process efficiency; a £2 million Faraday Partnership to improve the two-way flow of information and people in formulation technology; and a £3 million 'Manufacturing Molecules' programme to help reduce the time taken to develop and make complex molecules.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors underlie the recent significant reduction in business investment in the private sector managed chemicals and man-made fibres industries. [4648]

Mr. Wilson

[holding answer 17 July 2001]: Figures produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 25 June show that private sector manufacturing business investment in the chemicals and man-made fibres sector, based on seasonally adjusted figures, has increased by 5.6 per cent. (at current prices) in 2001 Q1 when compared with 2000 Q4.

These figures also show that there has been an increase in investment of 0.6 per cent. on the corresponding quarter of the previous year.