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remarks you made at the first meeting concerning the support
and the staff and the speed in which both the Foreign Office
and the Aid Departments as opposed to the Department of Trade
were able to help and operate with you? It seems to me that
this was an important factor, passively important, when one
is dealing with large projects. If you were able to say anything
about that further it would be helpful to the Committee.
(Mr Checketts) We did mention the aspect of time last
time when we met and how significant that can be, if your bid
is reaching a critical stage of negotiation and you need
responsibility from HMG to amend certain terms of the bid.
That was the point I made, Sir Peter, personally. We were
hoping that by moving the responsibility or shall we say the
driving seat of ATP out of QDA into the Department of Trade,
that this would speed up the process of decision at those points
of a negotiation. Maybe we are not correct in that assumption.
Maybe the procedures es in all arrangements are adequate but
they could be speeded up within the two departments in which
case there would be no change of driving seat but improvement
in the speed of consultation process.
167. When you say maybe it would not hasten things, would
I not be right in judging from you explanation, you would only
be giving that responsibility to him if you were hopeful it
would hasten things?
168.
(Mr Checketts) I would always be hopeful.
You believe it might?
(Mr Checketts) I believe it might.
169. Would this be due, perhaps, to a greater number of
commercially orientated persons who better understand the real
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