§ Mr. Soamesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the companies and commercial undertakings in which Her Majesty's Government have an investment, the amounts involved, and the reason for the investment.
§ Mr. Peter ReesDetails of Government shareholdings in companies and commercial undertakings in Great Britain as at 31 March 1983 are given in the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts 1982–83, Supplementary Statements (HC 158) published on 21 December last. The historical reasons for such investments are various, but the Government's general policy of disposing of their residual shareholdings in private sector companies was set out in my speech to the House on 14 March at column 420.