§ Mr. HopkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what research has been undertaken by her Department on consumer attitudes to locating call centre jobs and services offshore; [149200]
(2) what research has been undertaken by her Department to assess the regional impact of locating services and jobs offshore. [149201]
93W
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 22 January 2004]My Department has not undertaken any research specifically on consumer attitudes to offshoring call centre jobs and services. The DTI paper "Services and Offshoring: The Impact of Increasing International Competition on Services", published on 5 December, outlined the main issues on offshoring and highlights initial areas identified for further research. It invites all those with an interest in the wider offshoring debate, including businesses, employees and their unions, and consumer groups, to share their views with us. On 2 February I will be hosting a roundtable on offshoring with companies and organisations interested in offshoring issues. My Department is also commissioning research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of the UK's call centre industry to help identify any appropriate actions which need to be taken by industry or Government in response to the increasingly global market for call centre services.
§ Mr. HopkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what research has been(a) commissioned and (b) undertaken by her Department to assess the economic costs and benefits to the labour market, in particular to women, of UK call centre jobs being located offshore [149202]
(2) what research her Department has undertaken into whether costs savings are achieved by those UK companies who have located jobs abroad; and whether cost savings are passed on to the consumer; [149203]
(3) what assessment has been made by her Department of (a) the long-term trends in moving UK jobs and services abroad and (b) the benefits derived by UK manufacturing, utilities and financial services; [149522]
(4) if she will make a statement on the effect of offshoring jobs abroad on UK trade and industry; [149523]
(5) what assessment has been made of the quality of customer service achieved by those companies which have offshored jobs abroad; and how customer service has changed. [149525]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 22 January 2004]My Department has not commissioned or undertaken any research on the specific issue of economic costs and benefits to the labour market, in particular to women, of UK call centre jobs being located offshore. My Department is commissioning a study on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of the UK's call centre industry. The study will help to identify any appropriate actions that need to be taken by industry or Government in response to the increasingly global market for call centre services.
§ Mr. HopkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will publish her Department's study into offshoring of UK call centre jobs. [149524]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 22 January 2004]The study will examine the key factors contributing to the94W relative competitiveness of UK call centres including the impact of offshoring. Subject to progress of the study, we will publish a report on its findings in April 2004.