§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to abolish the arrangements whereby the Export Credits Guarantee Department requires that an organisation using its services undertakes to use those services for the totality of its export credit insurance; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkUnder its comprehensive facilities, ECGD does not necessarily require an exporter to insure all his business as a pre-condition of obtaining its cover and support. The Department looks for a reasonable spread of business which presents an insurable proposition and is willing to consider insuring only a proportion of an exporter's total transactions. The range of business required to be covered is settled in individual negotiations between exporters and the ECGD when policies are taken out. For project business and for sales of capital goods on extended credit, the Department is prepared to insure individual transactions subject to it having cover available and the terms and conditions proposed being acceptable.