§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the know-how fund projects that have been used for the production or promotion of(a) alcoholic drinks and (b) tobacco products.
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§ Mr. BaldryNo know-how fund projects have addressed directly the production or promotion of alcoholic drinks. Privatisation programmes in Hungary and Romania have included advice on the privatisation of breweries and one project in Bulgaria will advise the management of a brewery on an employee buy-out. A visit by a Georgian trade team to Britain, to help develop their export potential, included a component on the management and marketing of wine. Nine managers who have undertaken attachments to United Kingdom companies under a scheme to increase management experience have come from or been attached to companies with some interest in alcoholic drinks. This scheme has, since 1990, brought more than 650 managers to the United Kingdom. Two pre-investment feasibility studies have concerned firms involved in the alcoholic beverages sector.
On tobacco products, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend, the Member for Morecombe and Lunesdale (Sir M. Lennox-Boyd) on 25 March 1993, Official Report, column 654. No managerial attachments involving the tobacco sector have taken place since then, nor has any other support to tobacco sector projects been provided from the know-how fund.