§ 7. Mr. Michael Spicerasked the Secretary of State for Industry when he plans to meet representatives of the computer industry.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Industry (Mr. Les Huckfield)My colleagues and I meet representatives of the leading companies from time to time and keep in close touch with the activities of the computer sector working party. My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans for further meetings.
§ Mr. SpicerWhat lead is the hon. Gentleman's Department giving in the application of labour-saving computer techniques? When he next meets representatives of the industry, will he tell them what Civil Service jobs have been abolished in the process?
§ Mr. HuckfieldCivil Service jobs, of course, are not primarily a responsibility of my Department. But, in terms of the activities of my Department, I can tell the hon. Member that under various industry assistance schemes about £3.3 million has either been given or is under discussion and that, as part of more general schemes of support for the computer industry, about £4.5 million is currently programmed.
§ Mr. WarrenIn view of the Minister's reply that only £7 million has been committed of the £400 million which the Government gave us before Christmas as their target for expenditure over the next four years, does not the hon. Gentleman 11 think that it is about time his Department got a move on?
Mr. HnckfieldI do not think the hon. Member can quite add up. It comes to nearly £8 million. The £400 million, of course, is a package of total support for the whole of the microelectronics industry. If the hon. Gentleman looks at the support being given to the computer industry by my Department and by the NEB, he will see that it is much more substantial than that.