asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many sector working parties last year achieved the output objectives, home-market objectives and overseas market penetration goals that they set themselves and how many failed to do so; how many have revised these targets downwards for the coming year; and what purpose has been achieved by the setting of these targets.

In general the sector working parties' objectives were set in terms of the performance which might be possible by 1980 or by later years, in accordance with the essentially long-term nature of the strategy. They are not set annually for periods one year ahead. These objectives are intended to be ambitious yet realistic, and to provide a framework within which sectoral strategies can be developed. As the international and macro-economic environment within which SWPs operate changes and performance to date is measured, SWPs are free to reassess and modify the objectives previously adopted. In their latest reports seven SWPs have done so, five downward and two upward.