The Hindu : U.K. to raise skill levels to counter India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 13, 2003

Business

Business

U.K. to raise skill levels to counter India

LONDON DEC. 12. Britain has ruled out a "protectionist response'' to offshoring by companies specially to countries like India and is gearing up to generate more and better jobs by raising skill levels, supporting enterprise and raising business innovation and productivity.

"Protectionism is clearly not the right response... We cannot have a protectionist response to offshoring by companies at home, and nor should we,'' the British Minister for Industry and the Regions, Jacqui Smith, told the House of Commons.

She noted that U.K. exports are worth 270 billion pounds a year including 86 billion pounds of service exports.

"Many jobs depend on open markets abroad. Given our leading position as a global exporter of services, we must keep pressing for further opening up of markets for our exports. We are doing that in Europe through the proposed new services directive and in the wider world through the Doha round of the World Trade Organisation,'' she said Replying to a debate on an adjournment motion on financial services jobs (outsourcing), Ms. Smith shared the concerns of those immediately affected by plans to send financial services work offshore, particularly to India.

"We know that such announcements are painful, and that they affect many of the communities left devastated by the loss of manufacturing industry 20 years ago. We also take seriously their effect on local employment, not least because they fall disproportionately on certain groups.

PTI

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