§ 18. Mr. Colvinasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of current Ministry of Defence contracts with Royal Ordnance plc.
§ Mr. YoungerIt is not our practice on commercial sensitivity grounds to reveal the total value of our business with individual contractors. I should like to take this opportunity to inform the House that, although substantial progress has been made in the process of transforming Royal Ordnance into a fully fledged commercial entity, it has not been possible to take this far enough and to have in place all the features necessary to provide the basis for a successful flotation this summer. Privatisation remains the Government's objective and further consideration will be given to the means of achieving this.