HC Deb 04 February 1980 vol 978 cc13-4W
Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) whether he is prepared to authorise the disposal of all or part of the assets of Redpath Dorman Long Ltd. to a Dutch company, a member of the De Groot group;

(2) in the event of the disposal of Redpath Dorman Long Ltd. to a company mainly operating abroad, whether he will seek assurances for the staff relative to the continuity of their company's operations in the United Kingdom, that the steel fabrication capacity of the United Kingdom plant at Westburn, Warrington, Manchester and Stockton will not be further diminished, and that the United Kingdom company's prospects will not be sacrificed to secure the bidding group's operations in Rotterdam or elsewhere;

(3) what is his policy towards the disposal of Redpath Dorman Long Ltd.; and what stage the negotiations with the De Groot group of the Netherlands have reached.

Mr. Michael Marshall

These are matters for the British Steel Corporation.