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40
7 July 1982]
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE
MR G T CHECKETTS, MR R T Fox, MR P J GODDARD and MR A G B YOUNG
[Chairman Contd.] OECD, rather than promoting. I think that is one of our problems.
(Mr Young.) I share that view absolutely. We have heard this morning about aggres- sive tactics by our competitors, we should be more aggressive but how can we be aggressive when all the different compo- nents are under different ministries, surely we should have a greater degree of co- operation to evolve a strategy. We have heard that aid is available on a first come, first served basis, I ask whether this is right. Should we not be doing what the Japanese have done, which is to identify the key projects in a particular region and go after and get those.
Sir Peter Emery
135. Could you say in your view how much quicker matters would be likely to be dealt with from your experience if this was to be dealt with by the Department of Trade rather then the ODA?
(Mr Checketts.) One must speak from personal experience, nothing more. If I telephone friends in the Department of trade I get an answer and a quick answer.
136. This is what were are here to try
and find out and this is the sort of place where perhaps this Committee can be of considerable use.
(Mr Checketts.) By implication there is no road for me into the ODA.
Mr Cockeram
137. Can I ask a question on the British Council and language and so on: do you consider that they (a) support you and, (b) are sufficently co-ordinated in the UK penetration effort?
(Mr Checketts.) No. No, is too short an answer. We have only recently looked at this actually. We have discussed this meet- ing this morning in SEATAG and one of my members has produced pretty firm evidence of language schools which we have referred to in the paper. Are we talking of training or just language?
138. Let us talk about them both. (Mr Checketts.) Language is not a major problem. As the Minister said English is the commercial language of the area. There is a minor problem in that there is a further need to teach English through the British Council's facilities and this is a need to be explored and developed; it is a problem but not a major one.
[Continued
139. Do you consider the British Coun- cil's effort is sufficiently supportive?
(Mr Checketts.) I do not know enough about it. We have made a general state- ment, it would need further research if we were to advise you on more detail of that. would that be right, gentlemen?
(Mr Goddard If I may, on the British Council point, say they are broadly sup- portive but inevitably it is variable between the countries in the area. Without making invidious comparisons it is seen by us, in our detailed involvement in direct aid investment as well as the trade operations, that the British Council in some areas in the region are very much more aware of the contribution they can make to Britain as a whole rather than looking after the local culture of the indigenous people.
(Mr Checketts.) It is the commerical background of the situation I would like to see examined rather than the cultural back- ground, if he is learning English at our expense.
Mr Hill
140. You have quite a strong paragraph on overseas students fees and it has been a matter of some debate in the House. You
obviously feel it has an effect on perhaps good relations in the area. What proposals have you made to government and have you had a strong lobby on this with the Secretary of State for Education and the Treasury? What would you like to see in this report to re-emphasise how seriously you think this may affect future business?
(Mr Checketts.) Our feeling is based on the premise that training does equal trade.- Some people say that is not proven, I think if you ask us to try and prove it we would prove it but let us assume it is proven and that training equals trade. If I ask you to do one thing as you go to ASEAN it is to accentuate the positive rather than the negative aspects of this. For a very long time they had a wonderful access to our educational institutions in Britain. from Malaysia, at very low cost and that is now over. But let us not forget what they have had in the past. That is worth saying to these people. We agree the open-ended subsidy should have stopped — I hope I am speaking for my colleagues - we agree a new look should take place and we have read the document put in by the Overseas Students Trust. We are only talking here about industry and trade this morning and therefore the diplomatic aspects and the other aspects in the report are not of interest