§ Mr. Robert C. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the currently envisaged timetable for the privatisation of the United Kingdom shipbuilding and composite yards and the manner in which it is proposed to dispose of these yards.
§ Mr. ButcherMy right hon. Friend told the House on 25 July 1984 that he had asked British Shipbuilders to dispose of its warship building interests by 31 March 1986 and to make substantial progress to that end by 31 March 1985. Brooke Marine, Yarrow Shipbuilders and Hall Russell have already been placed on the market and British Shipbuilders will issue the sale documents for the other yards as soon as possible.
As my right hon. Friend said in July, the Government would prefer to see the yards sold separately or in small groups, but we also asked British Shipbuilders to set in hand contingency plans for the flotation on the stock exchange of all or some of the companies in case individual sales may not be achieved.
§ Mr. Robert C. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the current level of capacity utilisation in those United Kingdom shipyards scheduled for privatisation;
(2) what discussions his Department has had with potential purchasers of privatised shipyards about possible Government financial support for maintaining after privatisation capacity utilisation at levels similar to those occurring prior to privatisation.
§ Mr. ButcherI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.