§ Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the management of BAe Systems concerning a possible takeover bid by a foreign company. [125588]
§ Jacqui SmithMy right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has regular meetings with the management of BAe Systems at which a wide range of issues are discussed, including the company's performance, competitiveness, future programmes and future strategy. Such discussions are commercially confidential, under Exemption 13—Third Party's Commercial Confidences of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.