§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria he uses for deciding whether the details of investment of public funds in a company should be confidential or not, in the light of difference in this practice between the Learavia corporation and the De Lorean corporation.
§ Mr. Giles ShawDetails of financial assistance made available to individual companies in Northern Ireland are regarded as confidential, since the disclosure of such information could disadvantageously affect the negotiating position of the Department of Commerce in its dealings with prospective investors. In the case of De Lorean, an exception was made to this practice as the company had been obliged to release elsewhere information about the level of Government assistance provided to it. The Learavia Corporation is under no such obligation and, therefore, the normal rules apply.