Users should be made aware that L21A1 baton rounds can ricochet in some circumstances with high energy, and that the presence of obstacles and of personnel other than the intended target should form part of their risk assessment in the decision to fire the weapon;

A desire for a reduction of the ricochet potential should be stated in the research and operational requirements of future kinetic energy weapon systems, and be evaluated experimentally.

The Association of Chief Police Officers tell me that police firearms training addresses the ricochet potential of ammunition used by the police service. However, in order to ensure that this issue is specifically addressed, the results of these studies will be brought to the attention of persons responsible for firearms training in all forces throughout the United Kingdom. Current Army training on the use of baton rounds already addresses the issue of ricochet potential.

Small Business and Government— The Way Forward—a strategic framework for a Government-wide approach to helping small businesses based around seven core themes: building an enterprise culture; encouraging a more dynamic start-up market; building the capability for small business growth; improving access to finance for small businesses; encouraging more enterprise in disadvantaged communities and under-represented groups; improving small businesses' experience of Government services; and developing better regulation and policy. These themes were identified as key drivers for economic growth, improved productivity and enterprise for all.

Since then, partners at national, regional and local level have worked together using the strategic framework to develop a set of practical actions focused on improving policy and delivery as it affects small business.

Actions identified in the plan, include:

Consideration being given to extending the concept of common commencement dates for legislative and regulatory changes subject to the results of the employment law pilot now underway. Government will consult business on the priority areas and preferred dates;

A review of the routes off benefits into self-employment to establish if more can be done to encourage and facilitate moves into self employment;

The launch of a "core offer" for start-ups defining the service that all start-up businesses, wherever they are located, can expect;

Completion of the establishment of a Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship;

The publication of a "no nonsense guide" to access to finance for small businesses;

A second phase of the Government's Phoenix Fund, to encourage specialist business support and entrepreneurship in disadvantaged areas;

The development of a small business procurement concordat, to be signed by public sector bodies; and

Further work to improve the coherence, accessibility and quality of Government services for small businesses building on the success of the cross-Government www.businesslink.gov.uk portal available since November 2003.

Implementation of the Action Plan will require the involvement of a wide range of Government Departments and agencies and delivery partners. A web-based implementation programme is being made available at www.sbs.gov.uk setting out milestones and target dates for the implementation of the new actions. It will be updated on a regular basis to show the progress that is being made.

¹ specification of much gas imported into the UK before processing, is likely to fall outside the current upper Wobbe limit in the Gas Safety Management Regulations (GSMR). The UK's increasing dependence on imported gas does therefore raise the question whether the current upper Wobbe limit should be increased.

In the light of this result I have asked my officials to proceed with phase 2. Phase 2 will be a tripartite (DTI, HSE, Ofgem) consultation on the appropriate policy response. As my predecessor said, our broad policy options appear to be: the default option, to retain the current Wobbe limit (this would avoid the need to remove household appliances, but it would have the

¹ The Wobbe Number represents a measure of the heat release when a gas is burned at constant gas supply pressure. The Wobbe limit range in The Gas Safety Management Regulations is between 47.20 MJ/cubic metre and 51.41 MJ/cubic metre.

disadvantage of limiting UK access to the global gas market); or to change the current Wobbe limit (this would require the identification and removal of non-compliant gas appliances, but with an advantage in terms of facilitating gas imports).

My officials, together with HSE and Ofgem, will be working over the next months to prepare the ground for a consultation exercise on the policy option. My officials are also in discussion with the European Commission and representatives of the gas industry in the EU, about the work being carried out at the EU level on gas quality and the interaction with the present exercise.

I shall make a further statement to the House in due course to announce the forthcoming public consultation document. My Department would propose to hold a further workshop at that time.

This exercise has been developed by the DTI as a member of the Sustainable Energy Policy Network (SEPN), which is working to deliver the Energy White Paper "Our Energy Future—creating a low carbon economy".

Firstly, an investment company, which will continue to be named CDC and will be wholly-owned by the Government, will hold the existing and future cash and investment assets of CDC and its subsidiaries. This company will be responsible for ensuring that our capital is used in accordance with the investment policy. Secondly, a new independent management company, to be known as Actis, will be formed as a limited liability partnership between its management and staff (who will together have majority control) and the Government. Actis will raise and invest capital from CDC, from other development finance institutions and from private investors. It will follow responsible business principles and provide leadership and supervision for a family of Funds,

The Funds will focus on Africa, South Asia, power, and SMEs, with smaller funds for China and Malaysia. Each will be managed by a dedicated fund management subsidiary of Actis or on a joint venture basis, and will be run on a commercial basis in order to attract capital from private investors and development finance institutions. This structure of a management company and a family of Funds is an accepted norm in the international fund management industry. It will allow Actis to manage Funds with a range of objectives, from strongly developmental to fully commercial, according to the requirements of target markets and the objectives and return requirements of investors including CDC.

This dual company approach will help to establish Actis as an independent investment manager specialising in developing country markets, especially the poorer ones. It will also enable CDC, after an initial five year contract with Actis, to select its future investment manager(s) and thereby strengthen CDC's and the Government's ability to hold Actis and any other investment managers to their targets.

I have agreed to the appointment of Malcolm Williamson as Chair of the Board of the new CDC. He has an admirable track record in the banking and financial sector and I expect that he will take up this new position within the next few weeks when the two new companies are formally established. The current Chair of CDC, Lord Cairns, has agreed to become Chair of Actis. I am very pleased that two such experienced and highly qualified professionals will be leading the new companies.

I am writing to the Chair and members of the Select Committee on International Development about these changes. Later today, I will be making a public announcement about the new arrangements.