§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) on what date he gave his consent under section 10 of the Industry Act 1975 for the National Enterprise Board to acquire 42.7 per cent. of the nominal value of the total equity in R. R Chapman (Sea Surveys) Ltd.; what is the number of type of shares acquired and what was the cost to the Board;
(2) on what date he gave his consent under section 10 of the Industry Act 1975 for the National Enterprise Board to acquire 79.7 per cent. of the nominal value of the total equity in Cambridge Instruments; what is the number of type of shares acquired: and what was the cost to the Board
(3) on what date he gave his consent under section 10 of the Industry Act 1975 for the National Enterprise Board to acquire 100 per cent. of the nominal value of the total equity in Bull Motors Ltd.; what is the number of type of shares acquired; and what was the cost to the Board;
(4) on what date he gave his consent under section 10 of the Industry Act 1975 for the National Enterprise Board to acquire 50 per cent. of the nominal value of the total equity in B.T.B. Engineering; what is the number of type of shares acquired; and what was the cost to the Board.
§ Mr. Les HuckfieldMy right hon Friend gave his statutory consent to the Board acquiring 30 per cent. or more of the voting shares in R. R. Chapman (Sub-Sea Surveys) Ltd. on 15 October 1976, and in Bull Motors Ltd. on 1 September 1977. My right hon. Friend's statutory consent under section 10 of the Industry Act 1975 was not required for the Board's acquisition of its shareholdings in Cambridge Instruments Ltd. and BTB (Engineering) Ltd. In the latter case, as I informed the hon. Member on 24 January last, the Board's shareholding is not equity. In all these cases the number and type of shares and the cost to the Board are set out in my replies of 24 January and 15 November last.
491W