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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the meetings the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson), as Secretary of State for Trade Industry, and his officials had with representatives of British Aerospace and GEC Marconi to discuss (a) their joint sponsorship of the Mind Zone at the Millennium Dome and (b) their merger. [149477] Mr. Byers: [holding answer 8 February 2001]: The commitment to support the Millennium Dome by British Aerospace and GEC Marconi was announced by the previous Administration in 1996. The offer by the companies to jointly sponsor the Dome's Mind Zone was announced on 26 November 1998. I am advised that neither my right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) nor his officials had meetings with the companies to discuss their sponsorship of the Dome. As the Prime Minister had made clear since his statement with the French and German Heads of Government in December 1997, there was an urgent need to restructure the aerospace and defence industries in Europe to compete in world markets. The right hon. Member for Hartlepool, in his capacity as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and his officials discussed this issue at a number of meetings with representatives of British Aerospace and GEC during 1998. The Government's position was at all times that it was for industry itself, not the Government, to make specific proposals for restructuring. Any resulting merger would be considered on its own merits by the relevant competition authorities.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

149477; 363 c703W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Mergers Sponsorship Millennium exhibition British Aerospace Mandelson, Lord GEC Marconi

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk