§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the industries for which he has responsibility in which his Department, the NEB or other State agencies have an equity interest, indicating the percentage of total assets in each particular industry controlled by the State.
§ Mr. Les HuckfieldI would refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my hon. Friend on 26th November 1975—[Vol. 907, c69–70]—and 8th March 1976—[Vol. 901, c. 193–6.] In addition the Department has since acquired 63 per cent. of the issued equity of John Hastie & Co. Ltd., and has transferred to the NEB its holding in International Computers (Holdings), Ltd. The NEB separately has acquired further equity in 221W International Computers (Holdings) thus bringing its total shareholding in the company to 24.2 per cent. The NEB, too, has increased its holding in Brown Boveri Kent Ltd. to 17.7 per cent. and has acquired 35 per cent. of the equity of the Anglo-Venezuelan Railway Corporation Ltd. The National Research Development Corporation's shareholdings are set out in its latest Annual Report. Since it was published the Corporation has disposed of its holdings in Arcturus Electronics, Digimatics, Polaron Instruments, Process Peripherals, and Video Animation; has increased its holding in Data Recording Instruments to 45 per cent.; and has acquired 15 per cent. of the equity of the Ecological Engineering Co. Ltd.