§ The Earl of Onslowasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make a statement about the proposed flotation of Royal Ordnance plc.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)Although substantial progress has been made in the process of transforming Royal Ordnance into a fully fledged commercial entity, it has not been possible to take this far enough and to have in place all the features necessary to provide the basis for a successful flotation this summer. Privatisation remains the Government's objective and further consideration will be given to the means of achieving this.