§ Mr. Hancockasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will take steps to prevent the managing director of Her Majesty's Devonport dockyard using his Department's official notepaper, envelopes and internal post to publicise a private company which he and other senior managers have formed to tender for the contract to manage Devonport dockyard from 1 April 1987; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make a statement on the extent to which the involvement of serving Royal Navy officers in a private company tendering for the contract to manage Devonport dockyard from 1 April 1987 is consistent with the terms of Queen's Regulations so long as those officers continue to occupy their present positions;
(3) if he will make a statement on the extent to which the actions of the managing director of Devonport dockyard and other senior civil service managers, in forming a private company for the purposes of tendering for the contract to manage the dockyard after 1 April 1987, are consistent with the regulations governing the ethical conduct of civil servants, so long as those persons continue to occupy their present positions.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI shall answer shortly.