§ Mr. IngramTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what additional funds have been made available to the national engineering laboratory; and for what reason.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe National Engineering Laboratory is subject to net expenditure control. Therefore it is required to recover its full economic costs from work carried out for my Department and third parties. Any additional cash provisions are dealt with as part of the annual public expenditure settlement and presented to Parliament in my Department's main estimates.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the President of the Board of Trade which organisations have expressed an interest in purchasing the national engineering laboratory; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorA number of organisations have expressed such an interest. Their identities are commercially confidential.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what parts of the national engineering laboratory, including building and land, have been included in the prospectus for the sale of the national engineering laboratory.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorMy Department has offered for sale the business and assets of the national engineering laboratory. The buildings and lands are not owned by the Department.