52. Mr. CartissTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met French and German Ministers to discuss the Airbus project.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI last met French and German Ministers to discuss the Airbus programme in Hanover on 5 May. We discussed the reorganisation of Airbus Industrie and co-operation between Airbus Industrie and McDonnell Douglas.
§ 61. Mr. ColvinTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress is being made on the constitutional and financial restructuring of Airbus Industrie in order to make it more publicly accountable.
§ Mr. AtkinsI and my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster met the aerospace Ministers of France and the Federal Republic of Germany and the Spanish ambassador to Germany, representing the aerospace Minister of Spain, in Hanover on 5 May to consider the preliminary response of the Airbus partners to the proposals for restructuring the consortium contained in the report of the four independent experts known as the Airbus "wise men".
We noted with satisfaction that the Airbus partners and Airbus Industrie have responded promptly in studying the wise men's recommendations and reaching agreement in principle to their proposals. We asked the industrialists to start to implement the restructuring without delay with a view to establishing the structure of the new organisation by autumn, with full implementation from the end of 1988 at the latest.