HC Deb 26 October 1988 vol 139 cc284-5
8. Mr. Cousins

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what subjects were discussed at his last meeting with the northern region of the Confederation of British Industry; and when he next proposes to meet the northern region of the Confederation of British Industry.

Mr. Newton

I have not yet met the northern chamber of the CBI, and have no present plans to do so. However, when I was in Newcastle on 21 September I met the chief executive of the Newcastle initiative, the first of the special CBI task forces to enhance the private sector contribution to regenerating rundown inner city areas.

Mr. Cousins

As the same task force has identified Newcastle as a future centre for Japanese-based financial services, and as the Japanese and Australian Governments are talking about having a fully cabled technocity in Australia, will the Minister give such a scheme for Newcastle his personal leadership and commitment?

Mr. Newton

The whole point of the encouragement that we have given to the CBI and other private sector initiatives is to do with our belief that the active and wholehearted involvement of the private sector is the key ingredient in the regeneration of inner cities. I have given my encouragement to the CBI in that respect, but I do not wish to imply specific Government backing for a specific scheme, for which I have not received details.

Mr. Devlin

If my right hon. Friend should have such a meeting with the northern region of the CBI, will he discuss with it the importance of industries that are based in the region, which have head offices in the region and which have invested great sums of money in employment schemes in the region? In particular, will he discuss the case of Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, which is now facing a major threat from Elders IXL, which could have the most deleterious effect on employment prospects in the north-east?

Mr. Newton

I assume that the main thrust of my hon. Friend's question was the second part of it. I can say only that the proposed acquisition is being examined in the normal way by the Director General of Fair Trading, who will advise my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the question of reference in due course. As I am sure my hon. Friend knows, any representations that he or anybody else wants to make should be made to the Director General of Fair Trading at this stage.