The Department of Trade and Industry has kept control of business support services, and skills training has been kept by the Department for Education and Employment.

ECONOMIST: An England of regions | The

And given the importance of maintaining American support for talks to liberalise trade in financial services, to expand the North American Free-Trade Agreement and to bring China into the World Trade Organisation, an upsurge of Japan-bashing and anti-import rhetoric in Washington would quickly affect the rest of the world.

ECONOMIST: The whine of success

Last year Shropshire Council set up a company to trade services such as legal, finance and IT support, primarily to other public bodies.

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