HC Deb 10 July 1968 vol 768 cc77-8W
Mr. Bishop

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the principal mergers and takeovers in 1968 to date, listing the company for which the bid was made, the bidder and the value of the bid, and whether the Monopolies Commission considered and approved the proposals.

Mr. Dell

The following mergers have been concluded this year to date and involved a bid worth £20 million or more:

  • Rio Tinto-Zinc Corp. Ltd.—Borax Holdings Ltd
  • Leyland Motor Co. Ltd.—British Motor Holdings Ltd.
  • Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd.—Hall & Ham River Ltd.
  • Schweppes Ltd.—Typhoo Tea (Holdings) Ltd.
  • Westminster Bank Ltd.—National Provincial Bank Ltd.
  • English Electric Co. Ltd.—I.C.T. Ltd.—Plessey Co. Ltd. (computer interests) to be known as International Computers Ltd.
  • Royal Bank of Scotland—National Commercial Bank of Scotland.
  • E.M.I. Ltd.—Associated British Picture Corp. Ltd. (acquisition of 25 per cent. interest in A.B.P.C. by E.M.I.).
  • English Sewing Cotton Ltd.—Calico Printers Assoc. Ltd.
  • Guardian Assurance Co. Ltd.—Royal Exchange Assurance Co. Ltd.
  • Commercial Union Assurance Co. Ltd.—Northern & Employers Assurance Co. Ltd.
  • A. Reyrolle Ltd.—C. A. Parsons Ltd.
  • Brook Bond & Co. Ltd.—Leibig's Extract of Mean Co. Ltd.

vide new industries and employment in Wales.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody

Expenditure by the Board of Trade in respect of assistance under the Local Employment Acts and investment grants for all projects in Wales are set out below. Investment grants are not related to employment.

The following proposed mergers have been referred to the Monopolies Commission:

  • Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd.—Radio Rentals Ltd.
  • Barclays Bank Ltd.—Lloyds Bank Ltd.—Martins Bank Ltd.

The Commission reported that the Thorn—Radio Rentals merger might not be expected to operate against the public interest. With regard to the banks merger, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend yesterday.