§ Mr. Hefferasked the Secretary of State for Industry how many ship-repairing firms have been taken into public ownership; if the Western Ship-repairers and other ship-repairing firms on Merseyside have applied to join the publicly owned British Shipbuilders; and what 399W discussions he is having with the firms concerned.
§ Mr. Leslie HuckfieldAlmost two-thirds of the 12 ship-repairing companies which were excluded from the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 are now owned by British Shipbuilders. No approach by any Merseyside ship-repair company about possible acquisition by British Shipbuilders has been made to my Department or, I am advised, to the corporation.