§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes her Department plans to make in the support for the Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad Scheme. 160769]
§ Ms HewittA review of certain rules and procedures for the Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad (SESA) Scheme was concluded in March this year. This put forward a number of options for change which were subsequently refined into a set of recommendations. A wider ranging review of the needs of British Trade International's customers is currently under way. This is a strategic review to develop a simpler, more coherent and effective portfolio of services and it is sensible that the outcome of the work on SESA should now feed into this wider review. We shall not therefore be making significant changes to the SESA terms and conditions at this time, although one change is being made. This is the removal of the requirement for a minimum group size when groups of companies attend events with SESA support and therefore the removal of the need for a separate "niche" category for support.