§ 3. Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs by what percentage public expenditure on the National Economic Development Office and its Council is expected to increase during the current year.
§ Mr. BiffenDoes this quite extraordinary increase of 23 per cent. indicate that the National Economic Development Office is to be used by the Government during the coming year to engage on the highly dubious exercise of producing some kind of national plan?
Mr. WilliamsI would point out to the hon. Gentleman that it is the lowest annual increase since the office was set up. It also reflects the fact that since we came into office the number of E.D.C.s has been expanded to 21 from a pitiful nine when hon. Gentlemen opposite were in charge.
§ Mr. BarnettWill the Under-Secretary of State look again at the work of the E.D.C.s—for example, the clothing E.D.C. —which issues lengthy league tables which are quite meaningless and are made even more meaningless because they are issued 18 months to two years out of date? Will my hon. Friend have a word with them to see if they can do some useful work other than this?
Mr. WilliamsThe work of the E.D.C.s is continually reviewed. There is a great deal of new research under way at the moment.