HC Deb 19 May 1966 vol 728 cc1552-3
Q5. Mr. Barnett

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the criteria used for making awards to industry in respect of increased exports.

The Prime Minister

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 3rd August last.

Mr. Barnett

Does not the Prime Minister agree that it is vital that the criteria are seen to be fair? Would he publicise them widely so that we do not jeopardise this vital scheme, which is proving so successful?

The Prime Minister

I agree with my hon. Friend that this is a very important scheme. The criteria and all the details of the scheme were very widely publicised last summer when the Committee, presided over by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, reported. If it is necessary to give any more details to the Press and the public we shall be ready to consider doing so.

Mr. Bessell

Does the Prime Minister agree that, however valuable this scheme may be, it is vitally important to educate British exporters to the need to increase their export trade? What steps are the Government taking to this end?

The Prime Minister

Very full statements have been made about this. If the hon. Member would like me to do so, I should be glad to send him a whole sheaf of copies of the Board of Trade Journal showing all the help which has been given in this direction. I refer him, in particular, to the speech of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in the Budget debate.

Mr. Maudling

Does this scheme apply to those export merchant houses which are affected by the new Selective Employment Tax?

The Prime Minister

If the right hon. Gentleman will revive his memory on this—I am sure that he studied the scheme when it came out—he will realise that it refers to the manufacturing firms and not to the merchant houses.

Q6. Mr. Peter Mills

asked the Prime Minister how many firms in the South-West have received the Queen's Award to Industry; and how this compares with other areas.

The Prime Minister

Eight Award-winners are either based, or have their main factories in the South-West, while others have subsidiary factories there. It is not possible to make a true comparison between the regions because so many Award-winners operate in more than one region.

Mr. Mills

Does not this show what can be done in the South-West? Does not the Prime Minister agree that with better communications and roads we could even improve on this figure and so help our balance of payments? Will he have a word with the Minister of Transport to see that we are put higher on the list of priorities?

The Prime Minster

There is no doubt about what can be done in the South-West. I think that it is about 18 years since I opened an exhibition called "The Falmouth and West Cornwall can make it and can sell it exhibition"—so called for the sake of brevity. Many times since then I have seen great evidence, as have we all, of what can be done in that area. We are pressing on as fast as we can with the road building programme but communications are in no sense an impediment, still less should they be an alibi for failure on anyone's part not to make the maximum contribution to exports.