§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what terms Sir John Grudgeon relinquished his directorship of the Merseyside international garden festival.
§ Mr. Patrick Jenkin[pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1984, c. 287]: Sir John Grudgeon was engaged by the Merseyside development corporation on a fixed-term contract of three years from 1 January 1982. In February 1983, Sir John and the Merseyside development corporation decided to terminate the contract subject to compensation for loss of earnings. It was agreed that the settlement should reflect what Sir John would otherwise have earned, including the use of a car, up to the end of 1983.
The cost of the compensation will be disclosed in the Merseyside development corporation annual accounts, and before he gave his approval to the arrangements, my predecessor was satisfied not only that the settlement was fair to both parties but also safeguarded the interests of the taxpayer.