HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 cc1330-2W
Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what specific programmes her Department has to encourage environmental enterprise in rural areas. [71669]

Nigel Griffiths

The Farm Business Advice Service (FBAS) is one of the measures announced under the "Action Plan for Farming". published in March 2000. The action plan aims to move farming forward and help farmers improve the way they run their business.

The spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the spring and summer of 2001 saw the need to design an enhanced FBAS service for farmers who had compulsorily culled their livestock as a result of FMD control measures. This service was announced in June 2001.

The Development Fund for Rural Renewal, part of the Phoenix Fund, was announced in November 2001. £3 million is being spent to assist business communities hard hit by the foot and mouth.

In addition, the SBS is spending £30 million up until March 2004 on 96 Phoenix Development Fund projects in disadvantaged areas and among under-represented groups in all areas. So far the development fund has enabled the start-up of over 400 new enterprises and the creation or safeguarding of more than 1,600 jobs.

SBS is also supporting 46 Community Development Finance Initiative projects in disadvantaged areas. These CDFIs are receiving almost £20 million of support over the next two years. A number of the projects supported are researching new and innovative ways of providing last resort finance to disadvantaged communities.

Finally, SBS' 45 business link operators assisted almost 245,000 businesses during 2001–02 and have helped over 18,000 new businesses to start-up in all areas.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what partners her Department works with in identifying and encouraging enterprise in rural areas. [71672]

Nigel Griffiths

In the public sector these include the Countryside Agency and the English Tourism Council, and in the private sector organisations, as diverse as the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Village Retail Services Association (ViRSA) and the British Association of Licensed Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALLPA).

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses in the environmental enterprise sector have been established with the help of resources from her Department in each year since 1997. [71671]

Nigel Griffiths

The New Business Relation Group of the DTI does not hold this information.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) conferences and (b) seminars her Department has (i) organised and (ii) supported in the past five years aimed at stimulating new enterprises in rural areas; and what organisations have partnered her Department in these initiatives. [71666]

Nigel Griffiths

Business Link Operators, which are part-funded by the DTI, have undertaken numerous local activities which have the effect either directly or indirectly of stimulating new enterprises in rural areas e.g. attendance at agricultural shows and participating in events to promote rural social enterprise.