§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his reply of 30 March, Official Report column 358, what guidance was given by his Department between December 1985 and February 1986 to Austin Rover about exchanging information with the Ford Motor Company.
§ Mr. ChannonAs I informed the hon. Member in my answer on 30 March, at column358, Ford and the Rover Group Board agreed to open exploratory talks in December 1985. My Department was kept informed in broad terms of progress in these talks, but the specific information exchanged was a matter for the judgment of the commercial parties.