§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to increase trade between the United Kingdom and New Zealand; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkNew Zealand is an important trading partner. The British Overseas Trade Board actively encourages United Kingdom companies to export to the market, and has a wide range of services to assist them. I visited New Zealand myself in May 1986 in order to promote United Kingdom exports and the BOTB proposes to support 15 trade missions to that country in 1988–89.
Area 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million North East 117.8 115.3 130.4 111.2 82.6 76.2 62.0 108.3 North West 98.1 143.0 194.1 152.7 130.7 121.8 96.3 132.9 Yorkshire and Humberside 28.3 45.3 54.2 47.0 32.3 36.5 32.5 37.1 East Midlands 3.3 3.8 8.2 13.0 16.9 10.2 8.3 10.6 West Midlands — — — — — — 5.5 9.9 South West 7.7 11.0 12.0 13.7 9.8 11.6 10.9 20.6 Scotland 71.0 114.1 144.2 288.2 144.3 72.0 2.1 0.6 Wales 63.8 106.0 123.6 124.8 73.3 58.6 1.6 0.9 Great Britain 390.0 538.5 666.7 750.6 489.9 386.9 219.2 320.9 Notes:
These figures cover regional development grants and regional selective assistance industrial and training grants. All figures are gross, before deducting domestic and European Community receipts.
The figures exclude expenditure on the provision of land and buildings through the English Industrial Estates Corporation, the exchange risk guarantee scheme and business improvement services as it is not possible to provide a breakdown of these items by English region.
In November 1984 responsibility for RDG expenditure in Scotland and Wales was transferred to the Scottish and Welsh Offices DTI expenditure figures for 1984–85 and, more particularly, the two subsequent years are therefore not comparable with those for earlier years.
Nearly all expenditure on regional aid to industry in Scotland and Wales is now the responsibility of the Scottish and Welsh Offices respectively.