§ Mr. Nicholas BakerTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
§ Mr. LawsonMy right hon. Friend the Paymaster General said in a written answer on 21 July 1987, at column112, that the Government have no present plans to privatise Her Majesty's Stationery Office. That remains the present position. However, the Government see every advantage in removing unnecessary constraints and encouraging the management of the office to continue to develop the business on commercial lines. It has therefore been decided to establish Her Majesty's Stationery Office in the autumn as one of the new-style executive agencies as foreseen by the Prime Minister in her announcement on 18 February 1988, at column 1149 et seq, about the future management of the Civil Service. Her Majesty's Stationery Office will remain a trading fund within central Government, accountable direct to Treasury Ministers, 501W but the controller and chief executive will have greater freedom, within parameters agreed by Ministers, to manage the day-to-day affairs of the agency and in particular to introduce an organisational and pay structure better suited to the most efficient achievement of the agency's aims and objectives. Details of the new structure will be worked out with the Treasury during the next few months. The proposed changes will be the subject of full consultation with the trade unions.