HC Deb 30 July 1998 vol 317 cc414-5W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a breakdown of the £1 million initial information programmes budget for the Euro Preparations Unit. [53736]

Ms Hewitt

The Euro Preparations Unit was established last December, with an initial programmes budget of £1.1 million which was allocated toprinting and publishing of information, including business preparations factsheets, to help UK business prepare for the introduction of the single currency on 1 January 1999; development of a communications campaign strategy; running Ministerial EMU awareness seminars and regional conferences; conducting surveys to assess the level of preparedness amongst UK small and medium sized firms.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he has taken to ensure the impartiality of publications which are(a) published and (b) distributed in the United Kingdom with the aid of public funds, as part of the information campaign on the single currency; [53731]

(2) if he will list the publications produced by the Euro Preparations Unit since December 1997. [53742]

Ms Hewitt

The information is as follows:

  • "EMU: Report from the Business Advisory Group"—January 1998
  • "EMU: The euro and your business"—March 1998
  • "EMU: Steps for 1999"—May 1998
  • "business preparations for the euro"—June 1998
  • "getting ready for the euro"—first report July 1998
  • "Local Government Preparations for the euro"—July 1998.

All these publications, except "EMU: Steps for 1999" and "Local Government Preparations for the euro", focus on helping UK businesses understand the strategic and practical implications of the launch of the single currency on 1 January 1999.

All the publications are factual and impartial in that they neither promote nor denigrate the euro. The Government have been assisted by the Business Advisory Group and the Information Steering Committee in preparing these booklets.

"EMU: Steps for 1999" is aimed at organisations in both the private and public sectors. The booklet sets out the steps that the Government are taking to prepare for the introduction of the single currency. Our most recent publication, "Local Government Preparations for the euro", aims to help local government prepare for the launch of the euro.