§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will set up an inquiry into the extent to which a knowledge of Esperanto would facilitate overseas trade; and if he will examine means by which his Department could assist exporters in obtaining a knowledge of the language.
§ Mr. ParkinsonNo. A report, "Foreign Languages for Overseas Trade", by the British Overseas Trade Board in 1979, found that exporters should give priority to learning the customer's own language. As the greater part of Britain's trade is now with European markets, the ability to speak at least one other major European language has been emphasised in the report. It is, however, for exporters themselves to obtain whatever knowledge of these languages, or of Esperanto they 89W decide upon. My Department cannot offer them assistance in this respect.