asked the Secretary of State for Industry when his Department's experimental pilot scheme into the counselling service to assist and monitor small firms' investment propositions in the eastern region of his Department is due to report.

We have agreed to review the scheme with the Post Office pension fund after it has been in operation for 12 months, though, of course, it will be several years before the success of the individual investments or the increase in wealth creation which has flowed from them can be judged.