asked the Secretary of State for Industry what plans he has to encourage the development of numerically controlled machines in conjunction with the Government's programme for the reequipping of British Leyland and Chrysler United Kingdom.

My Department wishes to encourage British industry in general to invest in more advanced types of machine tools by means of the Machine Tools Industry Scheme and other measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Government hope that all British firms including British Leyland and Chrysler will, wherever possible, buy from British sources.