§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any of the bidders for the Fife Scottish Bus company are in receipt of Government grants or investment.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonNone of the bidders for Fife Scottish Omnibuses Limited has received any direct Government funding for which my right hon. Friend is responsible. In January 1989 the Scottish Development Agency however made an investment on commercial terms of £500,000 in preference shares in Stagecoach (Holdings) Limited, alongside a number of other investors. These shares are now held by Scottish Enterprise.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any director of Scottish Enterpise has received remuneration from either of the current bidders for the Fife Scottish Bus company; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe managing director of Stagecoach (Holdings) Ltd. one of the bidders for Fife Scottish, was a board member of Scottish Enterprise from 5 March 1990 until her resignation through pressure of business on 29 October 1990. The affairs of Fife Scottish Bus company, or of the current bidders, have not been discussed by the Scottish Enterprise board. Consequently there has been no occasion for board members to declare any personal interest in the bidders, and the private financial affairs of board members are not a matter for my right hon. Friend. So far as I am aware, however, no other Scottish Enterprise board member nor any senior employee has, since appointment, received remuneration from any bidder.