§ Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current level of company interest in the Government's plans for the future management of the royal dockyards at Devonport and Rosyth.
§ Mr. Norman LamontResponses to the pre-qualification questionnaire issued by my Department to companies interested in the Government's plans to introduce commercial management into the royal dockyards at Devonport and Rosyth have now been received and evaluated. We shall be inviting the consortium of Trafalgar House, Plessey and A and P Appledore and the management-led company Devonport Dockyard Limited to tender for the contract to manage and operate Devonport dockyard. Invitations to tender for the Rosyth contract will be sent to the Babcock International-Thorn-EMI consortium, the Balfour Beatty-Weir Group consortium, Press Offshore and Northern Engineering Industries.
A number of other companies — Foster Wheeler, Vickers SEL , Taylor Woodrow, Tyne Shiprepair, MEL and Cossor — retain an interest in bidding for the contracts, but have indicated that they would need to form partnerships for this purpose. Any consortia formed from these companies will be required to pre-qualify, as will any new companies which come forward.