§ 20. Mr. Boydenasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to reduce the long delays now obtaining before the Board of Trade Advisory Committee gives a decision on grants or loans.
§ 36. Mr. Lawsonasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has recently taken to speed up procedures of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee.
§ Mr. ErrollI refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Craigton (Mr. Millan) on 18th June.
§ Mr. BoydenThese delays have been notorious for a very long time. It is not good enough to say that the right hon. Gentleman will make a statement in reply to the Estimates Committee, or something like that, when this problem has been going on for years. My area is suffering from it. Will the right hon. Gentleman give his attention to the matter immediately and let us have a satisfactory answer?
§ Mr. ErrollI assure the hon. Gentleman that I have on several occasions gone into the question of alleged delays by B.O.T.A.C., and in nearly every case the major part of the delay has been caused by delays on the part of the applicant to provide up-to-date trading accounts and other essential information. It is a great mistake to assume that all the fault lies with B.O.T.A.C.