4.39 When approving the joint venture with CMG, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry instructed that the partnership must stand alone without the direct support of Government. The IT Services Division of the joint venture should be viable because of the assured income stream from the Agency. To ensure that this part of the business does not subsidise any losses from the new business of selling the Agency's expertise, the IT Services Division and the International Business Division are accounted for separately.
4.40 The separate accounting for these two activities also ensures that there can be no claims that a public body is being subsidised to compete in the commercial market.