§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will seek to expedite the production by the British Standards Institution of its specification for telecommunications equipment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ButcherI keep under constant review the possibilities for expediting the drafting of standards for telecommunications apparatus. Some slippage has occurred because of the complexity of the task and because of the need to obtain consensus. However, seven standards are complete, a number are close to completion and the programme as a whole as targeted by the 1981 Act is substantially on course.