HC Deb 06 February 1985 vol 72 cc579-80W
Mr. Eggar

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all the nationalised industries, non-governmental organisations and agencies for which his Department either has responsibility or provides funding, as well as those sections of his Department, which provide services to the general public or to private organisations; and if he will indicate separately those which at present (a) charge no fees, (b) charge fees which do not fully cover the costs of providing those services, (c) charge fees which exactly cover the costs of providing those services and (d) charge fees which more than cover the costs of providing those services.

Mr. Butcher:

The nationalised industries and other public bodies with which my Department is concerned are listed at pages 61–65 in "Public Bodies 1984", which is available in the library. Since publication BT has ceased to be a nationalised industry. Grant-in-aid to non-Governmental bodies are shown in the Estimates.

The central aim of my Department is to encourage, assist, and ensure the proper regulation of British trade, industry, and commerce. Within this framework the services for which charges are made are as follows: Services and groups of services the charges for which are aimed to recover full cost

  • Patent Office
  • Companies Registration Offices
  • The Insolvency Service
  • National Weights and Measures Laboratory
  • Laboratory of the Government Chemist
  • National Engineering Laboratory
  • Warren Spring Laboratory
  • National Physical Laboratory
  • Licensing under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958
  • Use of facilities at Royal Aircraft Establishment for European Space Agency Project
  • National Remote Sensing Centre
  • Dialtech (on-line computerised information service in science and technology)
  • NATLAS — National Testing Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (The aim is breakeven in 1986–87)
  • British Calibration Service
  • National Corrosion Service

Because of unforeseen changes in demand and costs recoveries in any particular year may be more or less than full cost.

Services for which charges are not set of recover full cost

  • BOTB Export Services
  • Small Firms counselling Service
  • Wireless Telegraphy Licensing