§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the position of Mr. Graham Day, a non-executive director of the Laird Group, in the light of the possible acquisition by that company of Leyland Bus.
§ Mr. ChannonI told the House on 5 March that Mr. Graham Day is to become chairman of BL plc in succession to Sir Austin Bide once decisions have been made on the future of the main Land Rover-Leyland businesses. The Government hope that it will be possible to reach decisions on the future of Leyland Bus shortly after that.
Mr. Day is aware, as a director of The Laird Group, of their strategy regarding bus manufacture. If he were to become a director or chairman of BL before the matter of 612W the disposal of the bus business had been concluded, he would therefore be unable within BL to deal with that matter. In that event he would nominate a BL executive to act in his place and report to the board and deal with the Government on it as necessary.