Commonwealth Development Corporation

HC Deb 14 July 1980 vol 988 cc1051-2

66. Mr. Hooley

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress he is making with his review of the work of the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

Mr. Neil Marten

As I said in my reply on 16 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stevenage (Mr. Wells), the review is a wide-ranging one and will take some time to complete. Progress is being made, but it is still too soon to say when the review will be completed.

Mr. Hooley

In the light of the outstandingly successful record of the CDC over three decades under successive Governments, will the Minister assure the House that there will be no attempt to cut the resources made available to it in the future?

Mr. Marten

I can give no such assurance. The sensible thing to do is to await the outcome of the review. The report will be made to Parliament.