§ Mr. Nelsonasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the interests of Consolidated Gold Fields in North Sea oil exploration, gold and uranium mining, road construction and transport fall within section 11 of the Industry Act 1975; and whether a change of control could be prohibited or prevented under section 13.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe powers to make orders under section 13 of the Industry Act 1975 apply only to an important manufacturing undertaking which is defined in section 11 as
an undertaking which, in so far as it is carried on in the United Kingdom, is wholly or mainly engaged in manufacturing industry and appears to the Secretary of State to be of special importance to the United Kingdom or to any substantial part of the United Kingdom".None of the activities mentioned in the question falls within any of orders III to XIX of the stardard industrial classification and so is comprised in "manufacturing industry" as defined in section 37(1) of the Act. Accordingly, the interests of Consolidated Gold Fields in the activities described cannot of themselves give rise to the exercise of the powers conferred by section 13.However, section 37(3) provides that a number of non-manufacturing activities, including transport and mining and quarrying, shall be treated as manufacturing industry so far as they relate to 359W products manufactured or to be manufactured by the undertaking. Detailed and comprehensive information about Consolidated Gold Fields' United Kingdom activities would therefore be needed to indicate to what extent the powers in section 13 might be applicable.