§ Mr. Douglasasked the Prime Minister if she will announce what further steps Her Majesty's Government will take to assist Cable and Wireless plc to receive serious and detailed consideration of its proposals for KDD International Telecommunications Network under Japanese law.
§ Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Prime Minister if, when attending the Venice summit, she will draw to the attention of the Prime Minister of Japan early-day motion 803, entitled "Action in Response to Japanese Trade and Investment Restrictions", and to the large number of hon. Members signatures appended to it; and if she will reaffirm to the Japanese Prime Minister Her Majesty's Government's commitment to supporting the claims of Cable and Wireless plc for transparent and objective consideration of its proposals and feasibility studies as part of the Japanese/United States/United Kingdom consortiums' application for an international telecommunications licence.
§ The Prime MinisterHer Majesty's Government are following closely Cable and Wireless's bid, with its IDC partners, for a licence to operate international telecommunications services in competition with KDD. There is now no talk of discrimination against Cable and Wireless. Mr. Karasawa, the Japanese Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, has now for the first time made it clear that he would welcome a proposal for the laying of a new trans-Pacific cable. Commercial discussions on this issue are continuing in Japan and Her Majesty's Government will continue to assist Cable and Wireless in their efforts. I discussed the case with Mr. Tamura, the Japanese Trade Minister, when he was in London recently.