§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report details of the Government's Outward Mission scheme, including a list of the persons administering the scheme, its annual budget, its date of inception, and the headings of its expenditure since its inception.
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§ Mr. Clinton DavisI have arranged for copies of a leaflet giving details of the Outward Missions Scheme to be placed in the Library. The present scheme based on an earlier one administered by the British National Export Council was introduced in 1972 by the British Overseas Trade Board under whose direction it is administered by the Fairs and Promotions Branch of the Department of Trade's Export Services and Promotions Division.
Annual expenditure has been as follows:
Financial Year Number of missions Number of firms Expenditure £'000 1972–73 … 145 1,644 322 1973–74 … 168 1,965 527 1974–75* … 182 2,200 620 *Estimated.