§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding the Government has provided to the Process Industries Centre for Manufacturing Excellence; which organisations have(a) been involved with the Centre and (b) benefited from the Centre; and if she will make a statement on the effectiveness and financial benefits of the Centre. [85491]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Government are providing funding support of £1.525 million over the period 2000–01 to 2003–04 to the Process Industries Centre for Manufacturing Excellence (PICME) to help UK 69W chemical and other process-based companies improve their productivity and manufacturing performance. Since becoming operational in March 2001, PICME has delivered 60 benchmarking analyses and 25 Masterclass workshops to companies in these sectors. To date, this activity has resulted in substantial direct savings being achieved by each of these companies, collectively totalling over £14 million per year.