§ Mr. Richard Pageasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is satisfied that the reallocation of British Overseas Trade Board resources since 1979, reducing support for overseas trade fairs and increasing support for the overseas projects fund and the market entry guarantee scheme, has assisted small United Kingdom manufacturing companies to increase their exports.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to the reply, 27 March 1985]: I would expect the changes to BOTB services since 1979 to have helped small United Kingdom manufacturing companies to increase their exports but it is not possible to demonstrate a direct relationship. The market entry guarantee scheme is aimed very specifically at helping smaller firms; the support for trade fairs, gross expenditure on which from 1979 to date has been broadly maintained in real terms, also helps many small firms; and the overseas projects fund, while aimed directly at firms seeking major contracts, benefits a large number of smaller firms associated with the work as subcontractors and in other ways. This scheme's share of the overall budget this year is less than that in 1979–80.