Written question asked by Jonathan Shaw (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 September 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 11 October 2004. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour) on Monday, 11 October 2004 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the impact of energy price rises on the paper industry.

Answer: Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of energy price rises on the paper industry. [189483] Jacqui Smith: While the DTI has not at present made any detailed assessment of the impact of higher energy prices on the UK paper industry, the Government is very much aware of the concerns of Britain's energy- intensive manufacturing industries in particular and is monitoring the situation. More generally, in July 2004 the DTI published a "Review of the Manufacturing Strategy: Competing in the Global Economy" (http:// www.dti.gov.uk/manufacturing/strategy review.pdf), which sets out a framework and action plan for Government and industry stakeholders to create the right conditions for manufacturing success.

Secondary information