§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the Crown Agents have met the financial targets set by Her Majesty's Government since incorporation, discounting the effects of the loss of the Brunei contract.
§ Mr. RaisonAs my predecessor, Sir Neil Marten, informed the House on 26 March 1982—[Vol. 20, c.300W 432]—Crown Agents were set financial targets covering the years 1982 to 1985. Crown Agents' published results for 1982 are the first that may be compared with these targets.
In 1982 the Crown Agents achieved a current cost operating profit before interest and taxation of ½ per cent. of gross income. The financial target for the years 1982 to 1984 taken together is ½ per cent. per annum. There was an increase in 1982 of 5 per cent. in real gross income per head of staff employed. The financial target for the years 1982 to 1985 taken together is 2½ per cent. per annum. The Brunei contract was lost in 1983 and the loss is therefore not yet reflected in Crown Agents' published financial results.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the value of orders placed by the Crown Agents in the United Kingdom for the years 1980 to 1983.
§ Mr. RaisonThe information is:
£ million 1980 144.9 1981 105.3 1982 107.1 1983 133.3
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the value of orders placed by the Crown Agents with small United Kingdom firms for the years 1980 to 1983.
§ Mr. RaisonThe value of such orders is estimated by the Crown Agents at about £40 million in each of the years 1980 to 1983. In making this estimate, small companies were defined as those other than listed companies and their subsidiaries.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of Stare for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the relative performance by the Crown Agents vis á vis other investment managers on the Brunei portfolio.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Crown Agents have indicated that their performance was entirely comparable with that of other investment managers.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of contracts secured by the Crown Agents from multi-lateral and non-United Kingdom donors over the last five years.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Crown Agents have secured approximately 140 contracts, excluding procurement, from multilateral and non-United Kingdom aid donors over the last five years, mostly in 1982 and 1983. From these sources 432 procurement contracts have been funded; of these, 201 were in 1983.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government are withholding United Kingdom aid business from the Crown Agents whilst a decision is taken on their future.
§ Mr. RaisonNo.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the United Kingdom aid programme is procured by the Crown Agents.
301W
§ Mr. RaisonIn 1982–83 some 5.6 per cent. of the gross aid programme was procured through Crown Agents. Their share of procurement under bilateral capital aid was 17 per cent.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish any indication he has as to the Crown Agents results for 1983.
§ Mr. RaisonResults for 1983 are not yet available, even in a preliminary form.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which non-Commonwealth countries the Crown Agents are prosecuting business; and if he will estimate the benefits of this work to the British economy.
§ Mr. RaisonIn 1982 and 1983 the Crown Agents conducted business in 51 non-Commonwealth countries, which are shown in the following list. They also worked on projects for agencies of the United Nations in Switzerland and Thailand; and the Governments of Norway, Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, Finland and Libya.
As part of this work for non-Commonwealth countries, excluding work funded from the UK aid programme, in the years 1982 and 1983 taken together, they procured goods worth £15 million, mainly from UK suppliers; trained 100 nationals from those countries; recruited for 39 posts; and provided more than 2,000 man months of consultancy services.
Non Commonwealth countries with which the Crown Agents have conducted business in 1982 and 1983
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Abu Dhabi
- Bahrein
- Dubai
- Egypt
- Iran
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Morocco
- Oman
- Pakistan
- PDR Yemen
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Syria
- Turkey
- UAE
- Yemen AR
- Angola
- Cameroon
- Ethiopia
- Guinea
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Togo
302 - Zaire
- Zanzibar
- Burma
- Indonesia
- S. Korea
- Laos
- Nepal
- Philippines
- Thailand
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the target for the Crown Agents' procurement in 1983; whether this target was met; and what is the state of the order books for 1984.
§ Mr. RaisonCrown Agents budgeted for gross income of £9.1 million from procurement work during 1983; the gross income achieved is still to be finalised but Crown Agents expect it to be about £8.5 million. Income from procurement work accrues up to six months after the work is first obtained. New procurement business, measured by indents received, totalled £191 million in 1983 as against £146 million in 1982. Crown Agents report that at the start of 1984 about 55 per cent. of budgeted gross income for the year will arise from orders already received; the comparable figure at the start of 1983 was 40 per cent.