§ Sir H. Williamsasked the President of the Board of Trade the total payments to date made to the British Export Trade Research Organisation; and the amount of future commitments to that body.
§ Mr. BottomleyThe payments made to the British Export Trade Research Organisation to date total £106,500. This represents three out of five annual contributions to be made not exceeding the amount required to meet one-half of the deficiency between the annual expenditure of the Organisation and its revenue from commissions executed, within a maximum of £150,000 in all and subject to an equivalent contribution from industry. On this basis there is a future commitment to the extent of £43,500, but I am glad to be able to say that a final contribution of considerably less than this sum and not exceeding £35,000 will need to be paid in the current year as a result of the arrangement for mutual aid recently announced, which we welcome, between the Organisation and the Federation of British Industries.