§ 9. Mr. Geoffrey de Freitasasked the President of the Board of Trade how much public money had been spent on the British Export Trade Research Organisation between its foundation in 1945 and its winding up last month.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftGrants from public funds were made to the British Export Trade Research Organisation in each of the four financial years 1947–48 to 1950–51 and amounted to £134,216.
§ Mr. de FreitasIs it not a fact that just when this organisation was allowed to die our Japanese competitors founded a Japanese export trade research organisation modelled on it and paid this organisation the compliment of electing its director-general as honorary vice-president? Is it not a shocking thing to allow this organisation to die?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI appreciate that the Japanese have established some export organisation of this kind. In my view B.E.T.R.O., as it was called in this country, did a good job of work, but the truth was that it was not supported by industry, who did not find sufficient use for its activities. It was never contemplated that it should be run as a Government-sponsored body irrespective of whether it was required.
§ Mr. de FreitasOught not the right hon. Gentleman to have encouraged industry to appreciate the value of this organisation, now that the sellers' market has ended, in helping it to get on with the exports job?
§ Mr. Sydney SilvermanAlthough exporters may not have been greatly interested in the organisation at a time when exporting was easy because the export markets were clamouring for our goods, does not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that the most unsuitable time for bringing to an end an export research, organisation is the moment when all one's foreign markets are withering under one's eyes?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftMatters of that kind did not escape me when I was discussing this subject with industry. In the last resort it must be for industry itself to judge what it requires in connection with the export market.