Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Industry – in the House of Commons am 11:30 am ar 7 Ebrill 2005.
Is the Secretary of State prepared to agree that one of the key elements of a successful bidding process is a ready access to high standards, and that BSI—formerly known as the British Standards Institution—and the International Organisation for Standardisation, or ISO, are brand leaders in this field and should give European companies a competitive edge? Is she aware, though, that the Americans have been playing a very hard-sell game with standards since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, and have stepped up their efforts since then, in trying to impose American standards on all work across the whole country? Will she assure the House that she will stand foursquare with BSI in ensuring that we resist the Americanisation of components and construction work in Iraq?