HC Deb 18 May 2000 vol 350 cc204-5W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the foreign representations that he received in respect of the DERA part sell-off and privatisation; and if he will make a statement. [122379]

Mr. Hoon

Throughout the DERA PPP process there has been substantial and widespread discussion with officials from each of our international collaborative partners. These have involved a considerable number of British officials, with meetings taking place in the UK and overseas often in the margins of bilateral and multilateral meetings. In addition, we have received written responses as part of last year's consultation process from a number of foreign companies. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on 10 January 2000, Official Report, column 85W, regarding details of the companies and our international collaborative partners.

Representations have focused on the need to ensure that PPP does not affect our ability to:

  1. (a) maintain and further develop our international research programmes;
  2. (b) ensure that security sensitive information owned by foreign governments and passed to the UK under Government-to-Government arrangements, can continue to be adequately protected; and
  3. (c) ensure that foreign commercially sensitive intellectual property passed to the UK under Government-to-Government arrangements can continue to be adequately protected.

Ms Squire

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is DERA's policy to support the(a) Business Innovation Centre at Rosyth Europarc and (b) application for European funding. [122399]

Dr. Moonie

The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) is strongly committed, through the Defence Diversification Agency (DDA), to encouraging the widest possible exploitation of defence technology in the civil sector, in line with Government policy. The DDA is implementing this policy by establishing a national network of technology diversification managers, all rooted in DERA but located in regionally based business communities, one of which is the Rosyth Europarc, to provide a technology brokering service. It is also DERA's policy to support the Europarc Business Innovation Centre's application for European funding.