British Overseas Trade Board

HC Deb 18 November 1985 vol 87 cc22-3W

Mr. John Mark Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the funding of the British Overseas Trade Board.

Mr. Channon

The BOTB net expenditure budget has been set at the following levels:

	£ million
1986–87	26.9
1987–88	26.6
1988–89	27.3

Note: The budgets for 1986–87 and 1987–88 are £500,000 lower than those shown in the BOTB's consultation document issued on 3 December 1984. This is solely a technical adjustment to compensate for the transfer to the BOTB budget from another Department of Trade and Industry Vote of estimated revenue from the export intelligence service; the effective amount of the BOTB budget is unchanged from the consultation document figures.

As my hon. Friend will appreciate with the soft loans scheme announced by my right hon. and learned Friend, the total audit of resources devoted to helping British exports has been substantially increased.