§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the steps taken as a follow-up of the productivity conference which he initiated last September; and in particular on the question of the availability of services to advise industry on matters concerning productivity and efficiency.
§ The Prime MinisterA National Economic Development Office working group is reviewing the wide range of governmental and other advisory services to industry to see if gaps need filling and whether co-ordination can be improved; the Chairman of the National Economic Development Council, my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State, has written to about 7,000 firms to launch a British Productivity Council campaign for spreading knowledge of productivity techniques; a National Economic Development Council Committee on labour utilisation has started work; greater efforts are going into international and inter-firm comparisions; the National Economic Development Council will shortly be publishing fresh guidance on investment appraisal; and the Government have increased the rates of investment grant as announced on the 1st of December.