§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many complaints were referred to the single market compliance unit in 1992; and how many were satisfactorily resolved.
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§ Mr. NeedhamThe single market compliance unit— SMCU—receives inquiries daily. At any one time the SMCU is dealing with some 30 to 40 cases. However, in practice, after detailed examination, only a minority of these, about 10 per cent. turn out to be breaches of EC law. Those not involving breaches are normally passed on to the Department's sectoral or trade divisions which are better able to assist with such inquiries.
In 1992 the SMCU dealt with 23 new cases involving actual breaches of the EC law to add to the 16 which it was already dealing with. Typically, a case takes at least six months and sometimes over three years to resolve. This is due to the lengthy process of compiling sufficient evidence, normally with the help of British embassies, together with the time it takes to raise a complaint with a member state or the European Commission. Of the cases dealt with last year by the SMCU, nine so far have been successfully resolved.
§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to expand the number of desks at the single market compliance unit; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamIn line with my Department's new "Business in Europe" initiative, the single market compliance unit is to expand. Expressed in terms of man years, the level of resources allocated to the SMCU is to rise from 2.5 to 4.5.