§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the extent to which the United Kingdom has realised the proposals set down in the Cecchini report. [18119]
§ Mr. Nelson[holding answer 28 February 1997]: The Cecchini report of the 1988 considered the considerable potential benefits which might flow from the European single market. The European Commission completed last autumn a major review of the impact and effectiveness of the single market, which presented an assessment of its operation and the benefits which have accrued from it. The review concluded1 that employment opportunities, income per head, productivity, and competitiveness have all increased because there has been a single market, but that there was more which could still be done to complete it and to improve its working. The Commission is now preparing an action plan and timetable to take this forward. The Government have supported the objectives of the single market, welcomed the review, and support further steps to maximise its benefits.
1The results of the review are summarised in Commission communication COM(96) 520 of 30 October 1996.