HC Deb 03 March 1997 vol 291 cc479-80W
Mr. Grocott

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report,column 329, how many inquiries have been received on the Government's telephone information services on (a) its regulatory policy and (b) its privatisation programme advertised in the document "Privatisation: Setting Enterprise Free." [17480]

Mr. Lang

The telephone numbers given in the publication "Privatisation: Setting Enterprise Free" are those of senior Treasury officials with a range of responsibilities which include providing information about the UK's regulatory policy and the UK's experience and expertise in the process of privatisation, particularly in response to inquiries from overseas. These contact points have been advertised for several years. No record has been kept of the number of specific inquiries each of the officials has received over the period.

Mr. Grocott

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report,column 329,if he will indicate the categories of (a) individuals and (b) organisations to whom copies of his privatisation document were sent. [17479]

Mr. Lang

Copies of the booklet, "Privatisation: Setting Enterprise Free", were sent to Members of Parliament, to delegates to the privatisation conference of 5 December, to the commercial sections of London diplomatic posts which were not represented at the conference, and to the commercial sections of UK diplomatic posts overseas.

Copies have also been sent to others upon request.

Mr. Grocott

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report,column 329,what is the cost of operating the inquiry services on (a) UK regulatory policy and (b) the Government's privatisation policy advertised in "Privatisation: Setting Enterprise Free"; and how many staff are employed, at what cost in salaries, in each case. [17481]

Mr. Lang

Explaining regulatory policy forms a small part of the Treasury's work on utility regulation. Up to five people at various levels are involved in this work as necessary—the team also covers energy, competition and deregulation interests. The explanatory work incurs salary costs of no more than £10,000 per annum.

As set out in the Government's second competitiveness White Paper, the Treasury promotes the export of UK expertise in privatisation through a dedicated unit. It devotes some 2.25 person years to this work at a salary cost of some £65,000 per annum.