§ Mr. Dykesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Bank of England will act as issuing house for offers for sale which form part of the Government's privatisation programme.
§ Mr. LawsonThe Bank of England has decided as a matter of general policy that it would not be appropriate 43W to act as an issuing house where initial flotation of industrial shares was involved. This would not, however, prevent the Bank from acting in other circumstances, as it did, for example, in the case of British Petroleum.