§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the successes of his Department in stimulating increased trade and, in particular, exports in the north west of England during 1984.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to his reply, 14 March 1985, c. 208]: North-west firms have shared in expenditure on a number of departmental schemes aimed at increasing export sales. Knowledge of business achieved as a result of official trade promotion is considered to be confidential between the Department and the companies concerned. However, participants in the eight north-west based trade missions sponsored by the British Overseas Trade Board in 1984 reported initial orders amounting to £2.86 million, with longer-term business expected to be considerably in excess of this figure.