§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on the ability of British ski instructors to offer ski courses in France; and if he will make a statement. [74402]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyMy Department has received representations from the British Association of Ski Instructors (BASI), and from individual ski instructors, about difficulties which British-qualified ski instructors have been experiencing when trying to work in France on the basis of the their British qualifications. The Government have been pursuing this matter with the French authorities over the past year. Progress has been slower than we would have wished, but BASI are now talking to representatives of French ski instructors, with the aim of developing a joint technical test. This may offer the prospect of significant progress towards resolving this issue. My Department will, however, continue to keep in close touch with BASI on developments.