§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she took to examine the feasibility of privatising the Royal Greenwich Observatory in(a) Edinburgh and (b) Cambridge. [8351]
§ Mr. BattleThe Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) was obliged by the previous Government to implement the recommendations of the prior options review of the Royal Observatories, including subjecting the instrumentation programme provided by the Royal Observatories to competitive tendering. The tendering process was suspended in November 1996 following the discovery of significant legal and financial difficulties. In the light of developments since then, PPARC approached me with fresh advice asking to be released from this obligation. I announced my acceptance of this advice in an answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Ms Hodge) on 4 July.
§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the representations the Minister for Science, Energy and Industry received from hon. Members on the proposed closure of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Cambridge prior to the closure announcement; and if she will publish those representations. [8472]
§ Mr. BattleIt is for hon. Members to publicise their approaches to me, should they wish to do so.