Business Improvement Services (Hansard, 24 November 1987)

§ Mrs. Peacock
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what sums of money his Department contributed towards the business improvement services scheme in each of the last three years.

§ Mr. Atkins
Payments made by my Department in respect of the business improvement services scheme are as follows:

Financial Year Payments £000

¹1984–85 31

1985–86 5,643

1986–87 13,270

¹ Part year only.

150W

§ Mr. Atkins
No distinction is made between Commonwealth and non-Commonwealh countries. No quantitative restrictions apply to the named products from those sources.
Duties are charged under an EC common customs tariff —details can be found in the HM Customs and Excise Tariff (copy available in the Library). Further liberalisation of trade in goods by the 95 contracting parties to GATT, in order to expand world trade, is being addressed in the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations now under way.
Details of United Kingdom imports are given in the following tables:

Financial Year	Payments £000
¹1984–85	31
1985–86	5,643
1986–87	13,270
¹ Part year only.