7 July 1982]
[Mr Hill Contd.]
THE INDUSTRY AND TRADE COMMITTEE
MR G T CHECKETTS, MR R T Fox, MR P J GODdard and MR A G B YOUNG
to us, but there is a good deal of private activity for students between industrial companies, the CBI and so on, that is going on. The suggestion is raised that the Depart- ment of Trade should have a vote, albeit a small one, an extra one to which industry would put their pound—I do not know what sum of money to select students, commercial students, for training in Britain on a scholarship basis and perhaps not a whole subsidy but part of a subsidy to spread these funds even further. I think the book highlights a thousand students in advanced technology engineering as the target. I would support, as an industrial member of SEATAĞ, that philosophy, of training students on a scholarship and I think you would find some measurement of support in industry to back a government fund. Can we not file this report, please, it needs to be read and considerations are very important to developing our trade with these people in the long term. We could give you examples of how students equal trade but may be we have not time.
Sir Peter Emery
141. Would any member of the team like to tell me how is it possible to structure the level or the numbers of HMG commer- cial staff in South East Asia without con- sulting with private industry?
(Mr Goddard.) It appears to be done already, so it must be possible.
(Mr Checketts.) It is, or course, a very good question, how do I answer it? The private sector view is not sought formally through SEATAG.
142. Is that not a nonsense? (Mr Checketts.) Yes.
143. Could we then look at the situation in trying to correct it? Has your committee put in direct recommendations to govern- ment about commercial representations in this area and, if not, why not?
(Mr Checketts.) I think, Chairman, we must wait to be asked.
144. You were talking about being ag- gressive.
(Mr Checketts.) Yes, I know, but there is no way I can foresee what HMG plans in terms of staff movements.
145. Mr. Checketts, you are a highly intelligent man who runs a very good and efficient business and you would know, even from reading the Times, that there was
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a general review in the Foreign Office of commerical staff. Do you really tell me you have to wait to be invited? I do not believe that. I am not trying to be rude
(Mr Checketts.) I am trying to think how I can be aggressive and be constructive at the same time.
(Mr Fox.) I think we have been caught off balance. That is absolutely true. We have been very surprised by the reductions recently in the area about which we knew nothing at all. It did not occur to us that reductions of the sort which have been undertaken in the last few months would possibly be carried out without us knowing about them before. In fact the number of people who did know about some of them seemed to be very limited indeed.
146. Would it be possible for you to put together a number of short paragraphs about your views on staffing in the ASEAN area so we could have your judgment even if the government does not? Perhaps we can act as a post office?
(Mr_Checketts.) I do not think that we need a post office.
147. I was being facetious.
(Mr_Checketts.) I would like to feel my relations with my Department of Trade officals and FCO officials are direct always.
148 We would still like the paper please. (Mr Checketts.) Yes.
149. Do send them a copy as well! Could I turn to the level of commerical knowledge of commercial staff? Are you satisfied (a) with the level of commercial knowledge of the staff on the ground, and, (b) how do you judge the commercial knowledge of the people in ODA who are at the moment having to make judgements about your applications?
(Mr Checketts.) Chairman, I am ducking this one.
(Mr Young.) May I start on the first part of that? I think the experience of any given post in the area depends upon what is at the time in that post the combined commercial experience of its officers there. It also depends upon the number of locally en- gaged officers, their language and commer- cial capability, and how long they have been there. There are certain countries which have well developed commercial infrastructures in terms of ready availability of commercial information from banks and so on and so forth, and well defined legal
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