§ 37. Mr. CousinsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take to improve the links between industry and his Department in the northern region.
§ Mr. HeseltineI announced on 3 July my plans for reorganising my Department so as to relate more closely to individual sectors of industry throughout the United Kingdom. These plans include the creation of a new industrial competitiveness division, a number of new divisions to cover key sectors not dealt with at present, and the assigning to all sectoral divisions of an explicit role to sponsor their industries. My Department's regional offices will continue to be the first point of contact for many firms. The offices based in Newcastle and Manchester will continue their work of building closer and more effective links with industry in the northern region.