HC Deb 24 May 1971 vol 818 cc15-7W
Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many British National Export Council staff are likely to be made redundant as a result of his recent statement on the reorganisation of Government-financed export activities; how they are to be compensated; and at what total cost.

Mr. Noble

These are matters which we are currently discussing with the B.N.E.C. and which remain to be decided.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the persons and organisations he consulted, giving times and dates, before he announced his planned reorganisation of of the British National Export Council and export services on 11th May, 1971.

Mr. Noble

We began consultations in November, 1970, with the B.N.E.C. We consulted the main representative bodies of industry in the early months of this year.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many protests he has received, and from whom as a result of his announced curtailment of Government finance for export missions and his plans to abolish the present British National Export Council.

Mr. Noble

A number of questions have been tabled by hon. Members about the changes in the missions scheme, which B.N.E.C announced in April. Other people, including mission sponsors, have written to the Department direct on particular points. We have only had a few letters about the change in the organisation of export promotion.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all the export organisations, services and Government Departments that will be affected by his recent announced plans to reorganise the export activities of the British National Export Council and to set up the British Export Board.

Mr. Noble

The export promotion work hitherto carried out by the D.T.I. and the B.N.E.C. separately will come under the British Export Board, which will be concerned with the overall direction of the Government effort in this field.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many civil servants of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office he estimates will be required to staff the British Export Board.

Mr. Noble

I estimate that the existing complement of Department of Trade and Industry staff engaged on export promotion work, about 1,200, will be sufficient. There are also 821 staff, both United Kingdom based and locally engaged, employed on trade promotion work in embassies and consulates abroad. This latter number excludes clerks and typists.