HC Deb 27 January 2003 vol 398 cc591-2W
Brian Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department will provide from its Innovation Budget to fund the Manufacturing Advisory Service; how this amount will be spent; and if she will make a statement. [93288]

Alan Johnson

The Department will allocate £14.2 million from its Innovation Budget to fund the Manufacturing advisory Service. This money will be allocated to Regional Development Agencies and the Welsh Development Agency to match fund the Regional Centres for Manufacturing Excellence (RCMEs) that we have established in partnership with them to deliver the Manufacturing Advisory Service in their respective regions and in Wales. Our allocated Innovation Budget funding will also cover the cost of a contract that DTI has awarded to Inbis to establish a National Network of Centres of Expertise in Manufacturing and a website for the MAS. All 10 RCMEs and the national website have been launched and are in operation (the site is atwww.dit.gov.uk/ manfacturingm/mas).

Brian Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses with(a) five employees or fewer and (b) over five employees have received assistance from the Manufacturing Advisory Service since it was established; and if she will make a statement. [93289]

Alan Johnson

The Department does not collect data from the MAS which allows us to separate or help given companies of more or fewer than five employees. The thrust of the MAS is however, very much on helping what the EU defines as being Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) employing up to 250 employees. In the period to 30th September 2002 the MAS: Responded to around 5,000 enquires through its Regional Centres for Manufacturing Excellence Undertook some 670 diagnostic and advisory visits to companies Included some 4,700 in regional training and other events Undertook over 100 in-depth consultancy projects with manufacturers Completed 21 Case studies that have been published on the MAS website (at www.dti.gov.iik/manufacturing/mas).

Initial monitoring data show that achievements within companies included:

  • Average people productivity improvement of 28 per cent.
  • Average scrap or wastage reduction of 35 per cent.
  • Average on time delivery improvement of over 40 per cent.
  • Average improvement in stock turnover of some 90 per cent.
  • Average value added to each SME client company is just over £50,000.