§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to be able to publish details of the legislation needed to bring about the merging of the National Development Research Corporation and the National Enterprise Board; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallMy right hon. Friend announced when appointing Sir Freddie Wood to be chairman of NEB as well as NRDC that he had asked him to examine the scope for bringing the two organisations closer together. I am glad to say that good progress is being made to intergrate the operations of the two organisations under their existing statutes. We shall consider legislation in the light of experience of their arrangements and when it has become evident that further legislation is required.
§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the disposals completed by the National Enterprise Board in 1979, 1980 and to date in 1981, stating the amount obtained for each disposal.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallDetails of disposals proceeds are published in the NEB's annual report and accounts 1979 and 1980 as follows
1979: Hird Brown Ltd (£0.4m); ICL Ltd (£37.2m);1980: Brown Boveri Kent (Holdings) Ltd (2.5m); Barrow Hepburn Group Ltd. (£0.27m); Computer and Systems Engineering Ltd.(£20.16m); Fairey Holdings Ltd (£22.0m); Ferranti Ltd (£54.0m); Middle East Building Services Ltd (nominal sum); Newtown Securities (Northern) Ltd (£0.13m); RR Chapman (Sub-Sea Surveys) Ltd (0.35m);1981 (to date): Automation and Technical Services (Holdings) Ltd (£0.9m); Negretti and Zambra Ltd (£0.52m); Systems Designers International Ltd (£1.2m).