HC Deb 21 February 1983 vol 37 cc344-5W
Mr. John Garrett

asked the Chancellor o f the Exchequer what effect the sale of Her Majesty's Stationery Office subsidiary Gateshead Press will have on employment at Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Norwich.

Mr. Hayhoe

Very little; I cannot be more precise at this stage.

Mr. John Garrett

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many redundancies are expected in Her Majesty's Stationery Office as a result of the sale of its Gateshead Press subsidiary.

Mr. Hayhoe

This will depend on the outcome of negotiations between the prospective owners and the trade unions.

Mr. John Garrett

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many firms were invited to make offers for Her Majesty's Stationery Office Gateshead Press; how many of these were foreign-owned or controlled; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hayhoe

This press is dedicated to the production of telephone directories for British Telecom; it is therefore being sold to its prospective contractor, which already prints directories for it at York under a separate contract for which it was the lowest tenderer in 1979. This contractor is a subsidiary of an American company. No other firms were invited to make offers.