§ Lord Tebbitasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they secured the permission of the Commission of the European Union before offering a subsidy of £80 million to the Ford Motor Company in order to secure an expansion of the capacity of the Jaguar car company.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Fraser of Carmyllie)No formal offer has yet been made. Discussions with the European Commission have been under way for some weeks, and will continue.