§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will draw up proposals to offer small and medium-sized defence contractors loan guarantees for commercial ventures; and what co-ordination his Department has with the Department of Trade and Industry's loan guarantee scheme for the support of such contractors.
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§ Mr. AitkenWe have no plans to draw up such proposals. The rules of the scheme operated by the Department of Trade and Industry draw no distinction between defence contractors and other eligible companies. The operation of that scheme is not a matter on which either my Department or the Department of Trade and Industry see a need for co-ordination between them.