HC Deb 22 March 1976 vol 908 cc74-5W
Mr. Tebbit

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) for what purpose Messrs. Whinney Murray have been appointed to advise him;

(2) on what date the appointment of Messrs. Whinney Murray as Government advisers was made;

(3) on what date the appointment of Messrs. Whinney Murray as Government advisers was made public;

(4) how much money has been paid to Messrs. Whinney Murray;

(5) whether any money was paid to Messrs. Whinney Murray before their appointment was made public;

(6) whether any moneys are due to Messrs. Whinney Murray in respect of their services as Government advisers for work carried out before the announcement of their appointment;

(7) whether he will list all the outside advisers retained by him to advise upon matters pertaining to the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill;

(8) if any time limit has been imposed upon the period for which Messrs. Whinney Murray have been retained to advise him.

Mr. Kaufman

Whinney Murray & Company were appointed in January 1975 to advise the Department of Industry professionally on the practical interpretation of the compensation provisions written into the Bill and on the practical effect of any suggested amendments or variations of those provisions; and, after enactment of the Bill, to advise and assist in negotiations with stockholders' representatives or before an arbitration tribunal in order to reach agreement on the compensation to be paid in each case.

It is the practice neither of the Government nor of the accountancy profession formally to announce appointments of this nature. However, this appointment was public knowledge and was reported on in financial journals from April 1975

ELECTRIC LAMP BULBS AND TUBES
United Kingdom manufacturers' deliveries (a)
(Partly estimated) Exports (b)
Year 1975 Number Million Value £ million Number Million Value £ million Export percentage by value
Filament bulbs over 28 Volt 278 36.0 38 6.8 19
Fluorescent discharge tubular lamps 58 17.8 23 6.4 36
Total Value .. 53.8 .. 13.2 25

Source:

(a) Business Monitor PQ 369.4.

(b) Overseas Trade Statistics.