§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communication his Department ha .s had with local authorities concerning the application of the European Community's Stride programme on the possibilities for conversion or technological reorientation of regional defence industries.
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§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 13 June 1991]: At the moment, the details of the allocation of Stride money in the United Kingdom are still being agreed with the European Commission. Once this is finalised, the possible use of Stride for regional projects such as the reorientation of defence industries, will be discussed in the programme committee on which local authorities will be represented.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the implementation of projects sponsored by the European Community's Sprint programme in the United Kingdom; how many companies and organisations are presently receiving support; and what assessment he has made of the benefit to the United Kingdom economy of the Sprint initiative.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 13 June 1991]: Sprint aims to stimulate technology transfer within the European Community. The programme has been in operation for six years. Over 100 United Kingdom companies and organisations are actively involved in Sprint, more than any other EC country. It is too early to judge the full benefits to the United Kingdom economy, but already over 260 agreements to transfer technology have been signed. United Kingdom companies are involved in a significant number of those agreements.