HC Deb 08 March 1991 vol 187 cc302-3W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 March to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson),Official Report, column 88, if he will require the payment of any form of bond by those shortlisted tenderers for the acquisition of the insurance services group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department, for access to commercially sensitive information on the insurance services group.

Mr. Sainsbury

No. Confidentiality undertakings have been obtained from each company invited to tender. In the event of a breach of any undertaking the Secretary of State will be able to pursue legal remedies through the United Kingdom courts.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 March, to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson),Official Report, columns 88–89, what restriction he is placing on the numbers of staff of the shortlisted tenderers for the acquisition of the insurance services group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department who will be allowed to see details of insurance services group's commercial transactions, operations, figures and accounts; and what methods he proposes to prevent the subsequent commercial misuse of any such information acquired in the tendering process by unsuccessful bidders.

Mr. Sainsbury

Each shortlisted company has entered into a detailed confidentiality undertaking to the Secretary of State which restricts, on a need-to-know basis, the persons allowed to see the detailed information provided in connection with the tender. It has been drafted to protect the interests of the Secretary of State and the eventual buyer and to achieve an appropriate balance between the restrictions imposed and the need to use the information for the purpose of the tender. Legal remedy is open to the Secretary of State if there is evidence of misuse. Overseas companies who have been invited to tender have submitted to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom courts.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 March,Official Report, columns 88–89, to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West, on what date he expects the shortlisted candidates for purchasing the insurance services group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department to visit the insurance services group headquarters in Cardiff.

Mr. Sainsbury

There will be different dates for each short-listed candidate. The precise dates are currently under discussion with the short-listed companies, but the visits are expected to take place during April.

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