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Mr. Wilson : With respect, that is not good enough. I am asking a straight question to which the Minister can either give or refuse to give the answer. How much public money has Stagecoach received through the Scottish Development Agency? The Minister should not give us that disingenuous stuff about new equity, which is not meant to assist with buying Scottish Bus Group companies. Stagecoach has been more honest and straightforward than that and has told us that it will bid for every part of the Scottish Bus Group. That will be the point at which the Minister's lip service to buy-outs will be put to the test. The Minister now has an opportunity to clarify that position. I assume that he has the information in front of him. Presumably public money is not dispensed with such largesse to Stagecoach or anyone else that the Minister does not know how much has been given. How much Scottish Development Agency money has gone to Stagecoach?

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : As I said in Committee, it is less than £1 million. I shall check the exact figure with the SDA and, if I am in a position to reveal it, I shall do so.

Question put, That the amendment be made :--

The House divided : Ayes 120, Noes 199.

Division No. 103] [6.16 pm

AYES

Adams, Allen (Paisley N)

Alton, David

Anderson, Donald

Barnes, Harry (Derbyshire NE)

Beckett, Margaret

Beith, A. J.

Bennett, A. F. (D'nt'n & R'dish)

Bermingham, Gerald

Blunkett, David

Boateng, Paul

Bradley, Keith

Bray, Dr Jeremy

Buckley, George J.

Caborn, Richard

Campbell, Menzies (Fife NE)

Campbell, Ron (Blyth Valley)

Clark, Dr David (S Shields)

Clarke, Tom (Monklands W)

Clay, Bob

Clelland, David

Corbett, Robin

Corbyn, Jeremy

Cryer, Bob

Cummings, John

Davies, Ron (Caerphilly)

Davis, Terry (B'ham Hodge H'l)

Dewar, Donald

Dixon, Don

Dunwoody, Hon Mrs Gwyneth

Eastham, Ken

Evans, John (St Helens N)

Ewing, Harry (Falkirk E)

Ewing, Mrs Margaret (Moray)

Faulds, Andrew

Field, Frank (Birkenhead)

Fields, Terry (L'pool B G'n)

Flannery, Martin

Flynn, Paul

Foot, Rt Hon Michael

Foster, Derek

Fyfe, Maria

Galbraith, Sam

Galloway, George

Godman, Dr Norman A.

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Column 755

Golding, Mrs Llin

Gordon, Mildred

Graham, Thomas

Griffiths, Nigel (Edinburgh S)

Griffiths, Win (Bridgend)

Hardy, Peter

Hattersley, Rt Hon Roy

Haynes, Frank

Heffer, Eric S.

Henderson, Doug

Hughes, John (Coventry NE)

Hughes, Robert (Aberdeen N)

Hughes, Roy (Newport E)

Hughes, Sean (Knowsley S)

Ingram, Adam

Janner, Greville

Jones, Barry (Alyn & Deeside)

Jones, Ieuan (Ynys Mo n)

Jones, Martyn (Clwyd S W)

Kaufman, Rt Hon Gerald

Kennedy, Charles

Kinnock, Rt Hon Neil

Lamond, James

Leadbitter, Ted

Lofthouse, Geoffrey

McAllion, John

McAvoy, Thomas

McCartney, Ian

McFall, John

McKay, Allen (Barnsley West)

McKelvey, William

Maclennan, Robert

McNamara, Kevin

McWilliam, John

Madden, Max

Mahon, Mrs Alice

Marek, Dr John

Marshall, David (Shettleston)

Maxton, John

Michie, Bill (Sheffield Heeley)

Michie, Mrs Ray (Arg'l & Bute)

Mitchell, Austin (G't Grimsby)

Moonie, Dr Lewis

Morgan, Rhodri

Mullin, Chris

Murphy, Paul

O'Neill, Martin

Orme, Rt Hon Stanley

Patchett, Terry

Pendry, Tom

Pike, Peter L.

Powell, Ray (Ogmore)

Quin, Ms Joyce

Rees, Rt Hon Merlyn

Reid, Dr John

Richardson, Jo

Robertson, George

Rooker, Jeff

Ruddock, Joan

Sheldon, Rt Hon Robert

Short, Clare

Skinner, Dennis

Smith, C. (Isl'ton & F'bury)

Spearing, Nigel

Steinberg, Gerry

Strang, Gavin

Taylor, Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)

Wall, Pat

Wareing, Robert N.

Welsh, Andrew (Angus E)

Welsh, Michael (Doncaster N)

Wigley, Dafydd

Williams, Rt Hon Alan

Wilson, Brian

Winnick, David

Young, David (Bolton SE)

Tellers for the Ayes :

Mr. Frank Cook and

mr. Jimmy Dunnachie.

NOES

Alexander, Richard

Alison, Rt Hon Michael

Amess, David

Amos, Alan

Arbuthnot, James

Arnold, Jacques (Gravesham)

Arnold, Tom (Hazel Grove)

Ashby, David

Atkins, Robert

Baker, Rt Hon K. (Mole Valley)

Baker, Nicholas (Dorset N)

Banks, Robert (Harrogate)

Batiste, Spencer

Bellingham, Henry

Bendall, Vivian

Bennett, Nicholas (Pembroke)

Benyon, W.

Bonsor, Sir Nicholas

Bottomley, Peter

Bowden, Gerald (Dulwich)

Brandon-Bravo, Martin

Brazier, Julian

Bright, Graham

Brown, Michael (Brigg & Cl't's)

Browne, John (Winchester)

Bruce, Ian (Dorset South)

Buck, Sir Antony

Burns, Simon

Butler, Chris

Butterfill, John

Carlisle, John, (Luton N)

Carlisle, Kenneth (Lincoln)

Carrington, Matthew

Carttiss, Michael

Cash, William

Channon, Rt Hon Paul

Chapman, Sydney

Chope, Christopher

Clark, Dr Michael (Rochford)

Clarke, Rt Hon K. (Rushcliffe)

Colvin, Michael

Coombs, Anthony (Wyre F'rest)

Coombs, Simon (Swindon)

Cope, Rt Hon John

Critchley, Julian

Currie, Mrs Edwina

Devlin, Tim

Dickens, Geoffrey

Dorrell, Stephen

Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James

Dover, Den

Dunn, Bob

Durant, Tony

Dykes, Hugh

Eggar, Tim

Evennett, David

Fallon, Michael

Favell, Tony

Fenner, Dame Peggy

Fishburn, John Dudley

Fookes, Dame Janet

Forman, Nigel

Forth, Eric

Franks, Cecil

Freeman, Roger

Gale, Roger

Garel-Jones, Tristan

Gill, Christopher

Glyn, Dr Alan

Goodhart, Sir Philip

Goodlad, Alastair

Goodson-Wickes, Dr Charles

Gow, Ian

Greenway, John (Ryedale)

Gregory, Conal

Griffiths, Sir Eldon (Bury St E')

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