§ Mr. Alexander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has instructed the British Overseas Trade Board to contribute to the cost of a second representative of a company to go on a trade mission providing that representative is a shop floor trade unionist; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Meacher:Under the British Overseas Trade Board's outward missions scheme, members of approved trade missions, normally one per company, receive 834W a grant towards travel and accommodation costs which varies from market to market. Consistent with its wider aim of encouraging closer association between management and shop-floor in export activity, and with my full support, the board offers a firm participating in a mission a second grant towards the cost of including a shop-floor representative where, in the judgment of the firm, and with the approval of the chamber of commerce or trade association organising the mission, this would be advantageous from the standpoint of export promotion. The facility is not dependent on the operation of particular trade union 835W arrangements within a firm, and the choice of shop-floor representative would be a matter for the management of the firm in consultation with the work force.