§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the effects of the East Asian economic crisis on employment in the UK manufacturing sector. [48494]
§ Mr. BattleThe economic situation in East Asia is still evolving and the Government are monitoring it carefully. Adverse developments in the region are not good news in the short term for UK exporters with a significant presence there. Obviously, the prospects for manufacturing employment in the UK over the long term depend on the underlying competitiveness of British manufacturers, and that is an agenda which DTI is specifically addressing.