§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the number of British Overseas Trade Board staff serving in the United Kingdom and abroad for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkExport promotion services, under the guidance of the BOTB, are provided by the Department of Trade and Industry in England, by the Scottish Office in Scotland, by the Welsh Office in Wales and by the Industrial Development Board in Northern Ireland. In carrying out its work overseas the BOTB calls on the resources of the FCO.
The numbers of DTI staff providing export promotion services under the guidance of the BOTB are as follows:
Number 1979 1,217 1980 1,123 1981 995 1982 933 1983 913 1984 818 1985 748 1986 728 Note: The figures are based on an estimate of the time spent by some staff on other work such as trade policy and trade relations. They include DTI regional office staff. Because of organisation changes in the period there are variations which mean that the figures are not completely comparable.
§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the reductions that have been made in British Overseas Trade Board export services for each year since 1979 in terms of reductions in, or the elimination of specific services.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkNumerous changes in, and adjustments to, BOTB services have been made, including many designed to improve value for money. Some services have been expanded. The main services withdrawn have been
Overseas Traders List (1980). A computerised version of this service is expected to be introduced in 1987.Institute of Directors' scheme for bringing overseas students to the UK for very short visits (1985).The market entry guarantee scheme was suspended early this year, because it overran its budget. This is pending the outcome of a review of its effectiveness.The main reductions in services have been:
Export marketing research scheme — limit placed on number of times single company could use service 81986).Overseas projects fund—firms now eligible only where help is likely to increase chances of significant orders for UK (1981).141WOverseas trade fairs — number of events supported annually reduced from about 350 to about 300 between 1979 and 1986. South Africa now excluded.Outward missions — number of events supported annually reduced from about 220 to about 145 between 1979 and 1986. North America and South Africa now excluded as destinations.Inward missions and VIP visits — number of events supported annually reduced from about 100 to about 65 between 1979 and 1986.
§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) those export services available to industry and administered by the British Overseas Trade Board which were free in 1979 and for which a charge is now made and (b) in respect of which services that were charged for in 1979 the fees have since been increased and by how much.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe only service now charged for which was free in 1979 is the provision of tender documents and project lists through the export intelligence service, which are now charged for at £2 and £5 per set respectively.
The main increases in charges since 1979 are as follows:
Market prospects service — export representative, currently charged at £175 and £125 per report respectively replaced agency funding service at £50 + VAT.Overseas status report now cost £21 + VAT compared with £10 + VAT in 1979.Overseas projects fund—a premium of 15 per cent. is now charged on repayment of BOTB assistance when contract won.Export intelligence service: charge increased from 30p per notice in 1979 to 40p at present.Fees for participants in joint ventures at overseas trade fairs have been increased from flat charges of from £4.50 to £18 per square metre in 1979 to percentages of direct costs (currently 40 per cent. for first time participant, 55 per cent. for second time, 75 per cent. others). Changes have been made in the method of calculating travel grants, especially for regular participants in overseas trade fairs and export missions, which have almost certainly involved reductions in real terms.Overseas seminar participation fees have been increased from £150 to £300.Percentage of eligible expenditure reimbursed under the overseas advertising scheme for UK fairs have been reduced from between 50 and 25 per cent. in 1979 to between 40 and 20 per cent. in 1986.
§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the priority given by his Department to export services; and whether he has any proposals to increase or extend the range of British Overseas Trade Board services and the resources devoted to them.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe Government are committed to maintaining a balanced programme of export services through the BOTB. These services are kept under continuous review to ensure that they are operating effectively to the benefit of exporters, and provide value for money. The possible introduction of new services, or the withdrawal of existing ones, is reviewed as part of this process.