§ Mr. Grimondasked the Prime Minister if she will give instructions that when parts of nationalised undertakings are sold off, Scottish financial institutions shall have an opportunity of participating in such sales and Scottish workers and managers in such undertakings are given the opportunity to takeover such operations as are based in Scotland.
§ The Prime MinisterI am particularly anxious to respect the special concerns of employees in the industries being privatised, and the arrangements we shall make for forthcoming sales will reflect this. These considerations apply in Scotland as elsewhere in the United Kingdom. An important objective of our privatisation programme is the promotion of wider share ownership, whether directly or through pension funds. For the purpose of advice and guidance on privatisation matters, we shall continue to select those financial institutions best suited to the job, as is essential if the interests of the taxpayer are to be protected.