§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps his Department is taking to improve the competitiveness of UK firms. [52390]
§ Mr. Mandelson[holding answer 27 July 1998]: Improving productivity is at the heart of the Government's drive to improve the competitiveness of UK companies.
The responsibility for this lies largely with business itself, but Government have a role in partnership with business. It is for this reason that my predecessor set up six business-led working parties last year to make recommendations about how such a partnership can help to promote competitiveness. I am also co-hosting, with the Chancellor, a series of seminars on the UK's productivity gap over the Summer and Autumn.
This work will contribute to a White Paper on competitiveness to be published in the Autumn.
§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what research her Department has evaluated into the competitiveness of UK firms, with particular reference to their funding, management and production functions. [52391]
§ Mr. MandelsonMy Department monitors research into factors affecting competitiveness, including funding, management, and production functions. The results are used to produce reports such as the Competitiveness UK document 'Benchmarking for Business' published in November last year.