§ Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of his Department's inward investment activities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 20 April 1988]: The Invest in Britain Bureau (IBB) in my Department has a rolling programme of internal assessment for performance and value for money. Paid publicity and promotional material is assessed by independent research by consultants. Consultants are also employed to evaluate particular operational aspects, for example, the activities of the English regional development organisations that are part funded by my Department. The IBB, together with the agencies that it co-ordinates, have been successful and effective, as is shown by the United Kingdom's continuing to be the preferred European location for internationally mobile direct investment.
§ Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his latest estimate of the number of jobs created in England, Wales and Scotland as a result of investment by United States companies since 1979.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 20 April 1988]: The following are the Invest in Britain Bureau (IBB) figures for the number of jobs expected to be created or safeguarded, in the long term, by inward investment projects announced by United States companies in each year since 1979 (the earliest for which formal records are available) for England, Wales and Scotland. The figures are based on information provided by the companies themselves and include only those jobs associated with inward investment projects currently known to the IBB.
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§ Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the annual cost of the Invest in Britain Bureau since 1979; and how much of that expenditure was incurred in the United States of America.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 20 April 1988]: The following are the figures for the annual cost of the Invest in Britain Bureau; full costs are available only from the financial year 1986–87.
Expenditure1 on the Invest in Britain Bureau (£UK) Year Total North American Section 1986–87 1,713 923 1987–88 1,837 823 1 These figures include, for example, staff salary costs, travel and subsistence,entertainment,publicity material, advertising and promotional events, but exclude, accommodation costs and general overheads.