§ Mr. DoverTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the early privatisation of Merseybus and GM Buses together with the current financial support provided to these organisations by the passenger transport authorities.
§ Mr. FreemanWe support the early privatisation of all local authority bus companies. I therefore welcome the progress made towards a sale of Merseyside Transport Ltd. to its employees, and have made it clear to the Greater Manchester passenger transport authority that we would also consider sympathetically a sale of Greater Manchester400W Buses Ltd. Passenger transport authorities have no powers to provide financial assistance to their bus companies, except in exceptional cicumstances and with the Secretary of State's consent. No applications for such consent have been received in respect of these companies.
§ Mr. Ken HargreavesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet decided whether to use his powers under section 61 of the Transport Act 1985 to require the division of Greater Manchester Buses into smaller units; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanI am asking independent consultants to advise on the implications which different forms of splitting would have both for the financial position of the company and for competition in the area. I shall take a further decision in the light of their report.
§ Mr. Roger KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make available the prices paid for individual subsidiaries of the National Bus Company; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanIndividual sale prices will be published in the forthcoming report by the Comptroller and Auditor General to the Public Accounts Committee.