§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if, under the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, initiatives in one local authority area will be considered discriminatory against investors in that area if similar initiatives are not in place elsewhere. [37351]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 2 April 1998]No. Policies towards investments, including local authorities' policies, may vary from area to area for legitimate reasons. Provided that a local authority's initiative does not disadvantage investors of one country compared with those of another in similar circumstances, it will not be considered discriminatory.