HC Deb 02 August 1978 vol 955 cc357-8W
Mr. John Ellis

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are his plans for reconstituting the Board of the British Steel Corporation.

Mr. Varley

I have decided to reconstitute the board of the British Steel Corporation in line with the policy for nationalised industry boards set out in the White Papers on the Nationalised Industries (Cmnd. 7131) and Industrial Democracy (Cmnd. 7231). The purpose is to strengthen the board for the task of restoring the corporation's viability in the face of the very difficult world steel situation, and to carry forward the Government's plans for industrial democracy.

I aim to achieve a board with broadly equal numbers of management, workforce and independent members with, in addition, representatives of the Department of Industry and the Treasury.

As a first and major step, I am today appointing to the board two more senior executives of the corporation, six trade unionists who are full-time active employees of the corporation, one additional independent member and two civil servants.

Further vacancies will arise over the next twelve months as certain existing members retire and I intend to fill these by further appointments of independent members and BSC employees.

I have also reappointed Sir Melvyn Rosser as a part-time member of the board.

The new appointments are:

  • Mr. F. Holloway, BSC Managing Director—Finance and Supplies.
  • Mr. G. H. Sambrook, BSC Managing Director—Commercial.
  • Mr. C. W. Abrahams, Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.
  • Mr. N. J. R. Lee, Central and Municipal Workers Union.
  • Mr. J. D. Lloyd, Transport and General Workers Union.
  • Mr. J. McLaren, Iron and Steel Trades Confederation.
  • Mr. J. Tweddle, National Union of Blastfurnacemen, Ore Miners, Coke Workers and Kindred Trades.
  • Mr. A. White, Iron and Steel Trades Confederation.
  • Sir John Buckley, Chairman, Davy International Ltd.
  • Mr. S. Gross, Department of Industry.
  • Mr. N. Monck, Her Majesty's Treasury.

Back to