§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is in a position to make a statement on financial support for the employees of Clydeside Western Buses, in preparing a bid for the purchase of that company.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonWe have consistently made it clear that financial assistance will be made available to one management-employee buy-out team per company. The Scottish Transport Group has recommended that, in the case of Western Clydeside, financial assistance to prepare a bid for the purchase of the company should be offered to the management-employee648W buy-out team led by Mr. Alan Wilson, managing director of Western Clydeside. The Scottish Transport Group considered that a successful bid was most likely to emerge from the outline proposals put forward by this team; and that these proposals offered the prospect of the most satisfactory shareholding arrangements for employees. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has now approved the Scottish Transport Group's recommendation and the Scottish Transport Group will today be writing to Mr. Wilson confirming this offer.
The decision to offer assistance to the management-employee buy-out team will not confer any preferential status on this team as bidders. All bids will be considered on their merits with bids involving employee participation receiving preference. This preference will not in any way depend on whether or not financial assistance has been given.