§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what information his Department has received on United Kingdom bids received by British Aerospace for Corporate Jets; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. HeseltineAny information received by my Department on bids received by British Aerospace for Corporate Jets, which has not been announced publicly, is commercially confidential.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will visit the Corporate Jets factory, Broughton, Clwyd; and if he will receive a deputation of production workers from the Corporate Jets factory, Clwyd.
§ Mr. HeseltineMy right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry, who has ministerial responsibility for the aerospace industry, visited the Broughton factory site last year. I have no plans to visit the Broughton site or to receive a delegation of production workers from the factory.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what information his Department has received on the proposed timetable for the sale by British Aerospace of Corporate Jets to Raytheon (United States); and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HeseltineAny information received by the Department of Trade and Industry on the proposed timetable, which has not been announced publicly by the companies involved, is commercially confidential.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement concerning the competition aspects of the proposed sale by British Aerospace of Corporate Jets to Raytheon (United States); and what discussions he has had with the chairman of British Aerospace concerning the competition aspects of the sale.
§ Mr. HeseltineThe chairman of British Aerospace advised me of the proposed sale on 26 May. However, it is for the Director General of Fair Trading to consider whether the proposed acquisition is a qualifying merger under the Fair Trading Act 1973 and, if so, to advise me in due course.