Eastern and Central Europe

HC Deb 21 June 1993 vol 227 c21W

Mr. Pawsey

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 22 March,Official Report, column 485, ( 1 ) if he will list those institutions currently receiving funding or other assistance from his Department for work undertaken in eastern and central Europe; if he will specify the nature of the assistance involved; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if he will list the assistance programmes available to British institutions involved in work in eastern and central Europe;

(3) what assistance his Department is currently providing to the British engineering sector involved in work in eastern and central Europe; if he will specify the nature of the assistance involved; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sainsbury

My Department provides a comprehensive range of services to assist the very many United Kingdom companies and other bodies which are interested in the region, including support for outward missions—sometimes led ministerially—and participation in overseas trade fairs as well as the provision of general and specific information about the markets and the opportunities in them. Information about export and consultancy projects under bilateral, EC and multilateral-funded assistance programmes is also available and my Department encourages United Kingdom bodies to exploit such opportunities.

The major reorganisation of the DTI's export services which was recently announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will enhance the service provided by the Department.

A detailed list of all DTI assistance for exporters is included in the latest British Overseas Trade Board annual report 1992–93. A copy of the report has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

A large number of British engineering companies are already active in central and eastern Europe and avail themselves of the services already mentioned.

Information on the number of individual British institutions which receive funding or assistance from the Department is not available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.