§ Mr. Thurnhamasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a further statement about the Government's plans to privatise Shorts.
§ Mr. HurdThe Government have decided that Shorts should in principle be a candidate for privatisation. We therefore intend to seek specialist advice about the feasibility, costs and benefits and other details of disposal including how best to secure employee involvement so that the Government can consider the question fully in due course. In deciding eventually whether to proceed to sell, the Government will in particular wish to give full weight to the importance of the company in the Northern Ireland economy as well as to its policy of spreading share ownership.