§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to analyse and identify the obstacles to company takeovers in other member states of the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RedwoodThe Department of Trade and Industry commissioned a report from Coopers and Lybrand in 1989 on barriers to takeovers in the European Community. This contains an inventory of the barriers that exist and an 19W assessment of their relative importance. The Department has also published a consultation document on barriers in the Community which summarises the principal barriers and the way they operate.