asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he intends to seek advice from other merchant banks besides N. M. Rothschild regarding the forthcoming sale of the British National Oil Corporation's oil and gas assets.

As my hon. Friend told Standing Committee E on 11 February, at c. 161, my Department is appointing S. G. Warburg and Co. Ltd. as its merchant bank advisers in connection with the sale of shares in Britoil.