To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations her Department has received from major inward investors on the effects on their investment decisions of the condition of the transport system. [124732]

Invest-UK, British Trade International's inward investment arm, has received one such recent representation from a major inward investor—Pfizer Global Research laboratories based in Sandwich.In their continuing dialogue with key major inward investors, Invest UK has identified the UK's transport infrastructure as one among a number of important competitiveness factors for investors when looking to maintain or further develop their UK presence. UK inward investment figures for the year to March 2003 show that the UK remains by a good margin the top destination in the EU.