HC Deb 09 February 2004 vol 417 cc1364-6W
Brian Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been provided by her Department to help finance(a) the Rethinking Construction Initiative, (b) the Sustainable Technologies Initiative, (c) the UK Online for Business Initiative, (d) the Waste and Resource Action Programme, (e) the Euroim II Initiative, (f) the Feasibility Studies Initiative for SMES, (g) the Local Partnership Fund and (h) the Technology Partnership Initiative in each financial year since the inception of each; what funding has been allocated to finance each in future financial years; and if she will estimate the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative to date. [149447]

Expenditure (£000)
Rethinking Construction Initiative(a) Sustainable Technologies Initiative UK Online for Business(c) WRAP(d) EUROIM II Local Business Partnership Fund(e) Technology Partnership Initiative
1999–2000 n/a 132 — — — — 350
2000–01 n/a 213 13,900 — 18 — 500
2001–02 1,494 312 15,100 650 49 23 500
2002–03 1,696 821 13,100 5,000 20 259 500
2003–04 1,723 1,170 7,000 5,000 65 314 450
2004–05 — 2,107 — n/a 38 — —
2005–06 — 1,554 — — — — —
2006–07 — 1,354 — — — — —
2007–08 — (b)1,786 — — — — —
2008–09 — — — — — —

Notes:

1. Funded by former DETR 1998 to June 2001. These data are not readily available.

2. Shows funding in years 2007–08 and 2008–09.

3. UK online for business was established in September 2000 as a successor programme to the Information Society Initiative.

4. Expenditure in 2000–01 includes the period April to August 2000, when the ISI was still in force.

5. Funding for 2004–05 will be announced shortly.

6. The Local Partnership Fund is not a DTI scheme. Expenditure figures have been provided for the Local Business Partnership Fund.

7. Some historic expenditure data have been omitted from this reply due to the disproportionate cost of providing it.

8. Forecast expenditure reflects outstanding legal commitments.

Benefits to business:

(a) Rethinking Construction Initiative

In the four years to 2003 projects involved in the demonstration projects programme (worth £7 billion) have achieved:

  • cost savings of 6 per cent. compared to the industry average, equating to £420 million;
  • a 61 per cent. lower accident rate than the industry average, projected as a £360 million cost saving; and
  • 2 per cent. higher profits than the industry average, equating to £140 million.

(b) Sustainable Technologies Initiative

The Sustainable Technologies Initiative supports collaborative research and technological development to improve the sustainable economic growth of UK business.

(c) UK Online for Business

UK online for business programme has helped several hundred thousand businesses, with over 250,000 interactions per year. The programme has provided advice, publications, tools, case studies and research to help companies understand and adopt e-business.

A recent survey showed high levels of customer satisfaction: 89 per cent. of customers using the help desk facility said they would use the service again, and 87 per cent. using the call centre said they would use the service again. Satisfaction levels with UK online for business publications were also high at 86 per cent.

(d) Waste and Resources Action Programme

Numerous businesses have benefited from receiving advice and financial support from WRAP. Further details can be obtained from the WRAP Annual Report and Accounts, which are available at: www.wrap.org.uk

Ms Hewitt

The following table shows the level of funding provided to 2002–03 and the projected spend in future years.

(e) Euroim II

EUROIM II helps businesses in the industrial minerals sector to find partners and prepare proposals for research and development support from EU programmes.

(f) Feasibility Studies Initiative for SMEs

This is not a specific DTI initiative, although feasibility studies are a key feature of the new Grant For Investigating An Innovative Idea.

(g) Local Partnership Fund

The Local Partnership Fund is not a DTI scheme.

DTI supports Local Business Partnerships through the Local Business Partnership Fund. This aims to develop a culture of education and dialogue with enforcers, and reduce the cost to business of implementing regulation by helping businesses to understand their responsibilities and making it easier for them to comply.

(h) Technology Partnership Initiative

The Technology Partnership Initiative promotes the UK environmental technology and services sector overseas and is a means of introducing UK companies to international markets.