HC Deb 26 July 1989 vol 157 cc731-2W
Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library minutes of the meetings of the board of the Welsh Development Agency for 1989.

Mr. Peter Walker

No. It would not be appropriate for the Welsh Development Agency to make public a record of its board meetings.

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what occasions over the last 12 months, the finance director of the Welsh Development Agency met representatives of the National Freight Corporation; and what matters were discussed.

Mr. Peter Walker

I am advised by the agency that the finance director has met representatives of the National Freight Corporation once (on 13 July 1988) when a range of matters of mutual interest was discussed.

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to his oral reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) of 17 July,Official Report, column 6, if he will list the names and positions of the Welsh Office officials, who knew of the rejection of the management buy-out from WDA West Wales; when those officials first learned of the proposals; and how they came to know of them.

Mr. Peter Walker

In November or December 1988 an official of the Welsh Office, Mr. Own Rees, head of the economic and regional policy group, was telephoned at home by a chartered accountant and informed that the regional managers of the west Wales office of the Welsh Development Agency had formulated proposals for a regional management buy-out which were not being favourably considered by the agency's management in Cardiff. Mr. Rees told the accountant that he was not the official with responsibility for the affairs of the WDA and that if he or those he was advising wished to pursue the question he or they should write in an official way to the director of the Welsh Office industrial department. In January 1989 the accountant wrote to Mr. Rees at his home making the same points and received the same response. Mr. Rees informed the industry department director of both approaches and of his reply. Nothing further was heard from the accountant.

In May 1989 industry department officials made inquiries of the agency to enable me to answer the question put down by the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams). In that context, I was informed that the west Wales management had made proposals for contracting out certain services to the private sector but that these were regarded by the agency as premature. I knew nothing of management buy-out proposals until Mr. Wyn Pryce wrote to me and made his announcement to the press.