§ Q1. Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Prime Minister whether it is his intention to continue the practice of signing the Queen's Award to Industry.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)I shall continue the present practice.
§ Sir J. Langford-HoltIs it the Prime Minister's view that there are perhaps too many awards to industry?
§ The Prime MinisterA number of points have been made to me in the last few months about the scheme, one of which is that perhaps the number of awards has been running at a high level. I cannot form a personal judgment about that until I get the advisory committee's report in the course of next year. I shall then be able to take a decision.
§ Mr. AshleyWill the Prime Minister consider a duffer's award to the soft, sodden morass of incompetent, subsidised firms—or would he like to repudiate the arrogant views of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry?
§ The Prime MinisterThe purpose of the award was settled as being for export achievement and technological advance, and that seems to me satisfactory.