§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the British export consortia in which the National Enterprise Board has been a participant and 427W the success or otherwise of this sort of initiative in British export promotion.
§ Mr. Les HuckfieldI have been asked to reply.
The board holds 35 per cent. of the equity of the Anglo Venezuelan Railway Corporation Ltd. This company was formed to tender for a major construction contract in Venezuela but has recently announced that it has decided not to proceed with the tender under the 428W conditions laid down. I am informed that earlier this year the board joined in partnership with two major British companies to tender for a large contract in Dubai, but the bid was unsuccessful. The board remains ready to consider proposals from companies to join consortia to tender for major overseas contracts which show promise of generating substantial United Kingdom exports. The Government welcome this initiative.