§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with British Leyland about the Bathgate plant.
§ Mr. Allan StewartMy right hon. Friend and I are in close touch with senior British Leyland representatives. They have encouraged the interest of potential purchasers of the Bathgate plant, notably two companies, Marshalls Tractors and JCB, who are considering whether they can develop viable proposals which could lead to acquisition of part of the assets. My Department has made contact with these companies to ensure that they are fully aware that regional assistance is available to maximise viable investment and employment at Bathgate.
216WFollowing initial approaches to a number of companies worldwide, Locate in Scotland has identified and approached well over a hundred which could have the capability to make use of the Bathgate facilities.
This marketing campaign, unprecedented for a single site, has subsequently been reinforced by the acceptance of my right hon. Friend and others of the recommendations of the Bathgate working party about improvement to the environment, communications and promotion of the area, and by the Government's recently announced decision to upgrade Bathgate to inner tier status, enabling cornpanies in the area to qualify for maximum regional assistance for investment.