§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the nature of the help provided by his Department to the organisation of conferences and seminars on the 1992 proposals; and if he will make a statement on the organisation of 1992 clubs.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 30 January]: Since the launch of its campaign "Europe Open for Business", the Department has provided speakers (both Ministers and officials) at 1,445 single market conferences and seminars. Organisers of these events can obtain, free of charge, copies of our wide range of single market literature for distribution to delegates plus free publicity for the events in the campaign's quarterly newsletter "Single Market News" (distributed to over 200,000 organisations). A range of videos produced by the Department, suitable for showing at single market events, can also be bought or hired. In 1988, the Department itself organised 20 regional breakfast conferences and more recently ran a major conference on "Europe Open for Professions" in London.
The Department has no role in the organisation of 1992 clubs though officials have spoken at events put on by individual clubs. I understand that the 1992 club national co-ordinator is Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott MEP.
§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a list of the various publications and briefing notes which his Department makes available on the 1992 proposals.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 30 January]: A list of all the single market publications and video material provided under my Department's "Europe Open for Business" campaign is included in our single market information pack. A copy of the information pack has been placed in the Library. Further copies can be obtained through our 1992 hotline 01–200 1992.
§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the measures so far adopted by the Council of Ministers on 1992 which will assist the development of industry and commerce in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 30 January]: Progress continues to be made on the single market programme. One hundred and sixty-four out of the 279 measures in the Commission's white paper, "Completing the Internal 225W Market", have now reached a common position in the Council of Ministers, or been agreed in principle. This means that almost 60 per cent. of the single market programme is now complete.
For information in greater detail, I have placed in the Library of the House a summary table setting out for the measures in the Commission's white paper those which have been adopted by the Council of Ministers, those which have been proposed by the Commission and those which are projected. Clearly not all these measures are of equal importance, but taken as a whole programme, the Government believe they represent good progress, and will bring benefits to industry and commerce in the United Kingdom, especially where they succeed in opening continental markets to British businesses.