§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is taking to help British exporters; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RedwoodMy Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provide, through the export initiative, a wide range of help, advice and support to United Kingdom exporters at each stage of the exporting process. It is, however, for individual firms to decide whether they should export. Our role is to help them reach these decisions and to provide the services they require to help them enter export markets.
It is encouraging to see that the volume of non-oil exports in the three months to November 1989 was 13 per cent. higher than a year earlier.