HC Deb 01 February 1990 vol 166 cc321-2W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make available to the public the correspondence between his Department and the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency regarding the future of Wintech;

(2) if he will make it his policy to expand the work of Wintech; and if he will make a statement;

(3) if he will place copies of correspondence between his Department and the chairman of the board of the Welsh Development Agency regarding the future of Wintech in the Library;

(4) if he will review the provision of technological and scientific support services to industry by the Welsh Development Agency;

(5) what representations he has (a) had and (b) proposes to have about the future of Wintech.

Mr. Peter Walker

It is agency policy to keep its operations under continuous review in order to respond more effectively to the changing demands of industry. A review of the agency's technology development activities was completed last year and changes announced in September 1989. These were directed to focusing the agency's technology activities more closely on improving service to high technology businesses in Wales and increasing efforts to secure technology transfer through the attraction of key research and development operations to Wales, in order to enhance Wales' technological base.

Apart from the hon. Gentleman's questions, I have received no representations concerning the future of the agency's technology development activities; nor do I intend to elicit any. It is not my policy to publish such correspondence as I may have with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency.

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