European Technical Collaboration

HC Deb 30 October 1970 vol 805 cc235-6W

Mr. Bishop

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on progress towards European technical collaboration.

Mr. Noble

It is making good but somewhat slow progress. We hope the pace will improve when we are inside an enlarged European Economic Community—particularly at the industrial level to which we attach the greatest importance. At the Government level we support the work going on in organisations like the E.C.E., the European Space Research Organisation, and the fifteen-nation group organised by the E.E.C. We also attach great importance to our participation in a number of bilateral and multilateral projects where Government initiative is combined with industrial co-operation.

We also have valuable technological agreements with a number of East European countries.