HC Deb 27 October 1998 vol 318 cc131-2W
Mr. Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many information packs inviting businesses to order fact sheets on preparation for the launch of the euro have been sent out; and how many businesses have requested those fact sheets. [55795]

Mr. Mandelson

In September, my noble Friend Lord Simon sent letters to 1.6 million small and medium sized businesses inviting them to find out what the introduction of the euro on 1 January next year would mean for them. The letter invited firms to send for a set of the "business preparations for the euro" fact sheets prepared by the Treasury's Euro Preparations Unit (EPU). In addition to this, the DTI has sent to exporters and business organisations more than 140,000 leaflets on the euro which direct businesses to the fact sheets for further information. To date, more than 220,000 fact sheet packs have been asked for by UK businesses and intermediaries.