agenda

So while the Government is busy taking steps to improve the business environment for smaller fi rms, how is it looking after those huge multinationals? Green answers: “The focus is on ensuring we manage the relationships with major exporters who are household names, the major inward investors such as Japanese car makers, for instance, ensuring we look after those relationships as proactively as possible. That means for each of them we’ll have an individual minister who feels accountable for that relationship, as well as a senior civil servant who is there to support the minister and the ambassador in the country concerned. All of those people are part of a relationship-management team, which is tailor made to the needs of the particular company.”

RENEWED DEVELOPMENT Sticking to the world stage, the Doha Round of trade talks have been without agreement for almost a decade. As of 2008, talks have stalled over divisions on major issues, such as agriculture, industrial tariffs, services and trade remedies. The most signifi cant differences are between developed nations, led by the EU, the United States and Japan, and the major developing countries, led by Brazil, China, India, South Africa and South Korea. There is also contention between the EU and the US over their maintenance of agricultural subsidies, seen to operate effectively as trade barriers. Yet Green seems optimistic of a deal being done: “Doha has been stalled for a number of years as everybody knows. The G20 is making a big push to get it done this year. The reason for that is there is seen to be a window of opportunity that may not be there thereafter. “There is a momentum behind this

renewed initiative. Why is it important? Well, it is important both incrementally and defensively, if you can put it that way. Incrementally, because if we can get Doha done it will add something like £110bn to global trade. Defensively, because if you don’t get it done there is a risk of slipping backwards on gains that have already been

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registered since the Uruguay Round. “I think, more fundamentally and without quoting numbers, we need to keep the momentum moving forwards. We in the UK have always believed in the value of trade, interaction and free-fl owing investment that is driving growth and economic investment. You don’t want to fi nd the world of the 21st century slipping backwards. Last, but not least, the real key to unlocking economic and social development in the poorest countries of the world is trade and investment. It’s not for nothing that it is called the Doha Development Round.”

DOMESTIC GROWTH We return to the UK and talk about the state of the domestic economy. “I think we are in challenging times,” he says. “But, actually I think that there is some growth momentum. Growth is fragile, but the Government has embarked on fi scal consolidation that we fundamentally believe needs to be done. We need to create the conditions for market confi dence and investment confi dence. That’s a painful process, it is

right to do it and growth has to come from the private sector.” I suggest to Green that there’s little point in him taking on his current ministerial role if he has not contributed to an improvement in the UK’s economic conditions by the time he leaves offi ce. “This is a marathon and not a sprint,” he says. “So when people ask whether I expect the Government to turn around the position dramatically within the next three, six or nine months, then I say nonsense. “If there were magic wands to wave

they’d have been waved by now. This is a problem that has beset the UK economy for some time. Yes, you want to get a sense of tangible results. You want to see more companies getting involved and exciting new stories to tell. There is no intrinsic reason why the UK should have a poor trade position and we have all the competitive strengths to believe we can do this as well as anybody else.” Alongside his colleagues in Government,

Green is determined that we will reach the fi nish line.

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“we can dothis as well as anybody else”