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| The wave of privatisations: in detail | The wave of privatisations: in detail |
| (4 months later) | |
| Royal Mail | Royal Mail |
| Value: £3bn | Value: £3bn |
| What stage in the process: The government has appointed Goldman Sachs and UBS to advise on the sell-off - hopefully within a year. The Communication Workers Union is mounting an anti-privatisation campaign and is balloting postal workers asking them to vote for or against the privatisation plans. The results from the ballot are due on 19 June and could lead to industrial action. | What stage in the process: The government has appointed Goldman Sachs and UBS to advise on the sell-off - hopefully within a year. The Communication Workers Union is mounting an anti-privatisation campaign and is balloting postal workers asking them to vote for or against the privatisation plans. The results from the ballot are due on 19 June and could lead to industrial action. |
| Staff: 150,000 | Staff: 150,000 |
| Possible bidders: A stock market flotation in London, with staff granted shares equal to 10% of the company, is the preferred option. However, business minister Michael Fallon has said other options are still "on the table", including a sale to sovereign wealth funds or other foreign buyers. | Possible bidders: A stock market flotation in London, with staff granted shares equal to 10% of the company, is the preferred option. However, business minister Michael Fallon has said other options are still "on the table", including a sale to sovereign wealth funds or other foreign buyers. |
| Student loan book/Student Loans Company | Student loan book/Student Loans Company |
| Value: 1st tranche: £900m | Value: 1st tranche: £900m |
| What stage in the process: Business secretary Vince Cable revealed in March plans to sell a book of mortgage-style student loans with a face value of £900m. The market value is likely to be lower however, as the loans in question were issued between 1990 and 1998 and are mostly in arrears or deferred. The government has stated the private sector may be able to improve the collection of repayments "using their expertise". | What stage in the process: Business secretary Vince Cable revealed in March plans to sell a book of mortgage-style student loans with a face value of £900m. The market value is likely to be lower however, as the loans in question were issued between 1990 and 1998 and are mostly in arrears or deferred. The government has stated the private sector may be able to improve the collection of repayments "using their expertise". |
| There is a possibility the rest of the loan book, worth £45.9bn in March 2012, could follow. A BIS spokesman said the government "continues to explore options for monetising student loans". | There is a possibility the rest of the loan book, worth £45.9bn in March 2012, could follow. A BIS spokesman said the government "continues to explore options for monetising student loans". |
| Staff: 2,260 | Staff: 2,260 |
| Possible bidders: Banks, investment funds, financial institutions | Possible bidders: Banks, investment funds, financial institutions |
| Urenco | Urenco |
| Value: UK stake: £3bn | Value: UK stake: £3bn |
| What stage in the process: The government put its one-third stake in the nuclear processor up for sale in April, after securing agreement from its Dutch and German partners. The Dutch government also owns a third, while Germancompanies RWE and E.On jointly own the rest. All parties are now thought to be willing to sell their stakes in the uranium enrichment company, paving the way for a potential £9bn auction. Urenco has the gas centrifugal capacity not only to fuel the 430 nuclear power plants worldwide but also to make a nuclear bomb. | What stage in the process: The government put its one-third stake in the nuclear processor up for sale in April, after securing agreement from its Dutch and German partners. The Dutch government also owns a third, while Germancompanies RWE and E.On jointly own the rest. All parties are now thought to be willing to sell their stakes in the uranium enrichment company, paving the way for a potential £9bn auction. Urenco has the gas centrifugal capacity not only to fuel the 430 nuclear power plants worldwide but also to make a nuclear bomb. |
| Staff: 1,600 worldwide | Staff: 1,600 worldwide |
| Possible bidders: Financial buyers, most likely infrastructure investors and sovereign wealth funds. Trade buyers including France's Areva and Canada's Cameco are also likely to look at it, and a flotation has not been ruled out. | Possible bidders: Financial buyers, most likely infrastructure investors and sovereign wealth funds. Trade buyers including France's Areva and Canada's Cameco are also likely to look at it, and a flotation has not been ruled out. |
| Search and rescue | Search and rescue |
| Value: £1.6bn | Value: £1.6bn |
| What stage in the process: The 10-year contract has been awarded by the Department for Transport to US-based Bristow, which will take over search and rescue helicopter duties from the RAF and Royal Navy on a phased basis from April 2015. Bristow will also take on civilian search and rescue bases run by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The current fleet of Sea King helicopters, as flown by Prince William, will be retired. Eleven Sikorsky S-92 and 11 AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters will be located at 10 bases across the UK. | What stage in the process: The 10-year contract has been awarded by the Department for Transport to US-based Bristow, which will take over search and rescue helicopter duties from the RAF and Royal Navy on a phased basis from April 2015. Bristow will also take on civilian search and rescue bases run by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The current fleet of Sea King helicopters, as flown by Prince William, will be retired. Eleven Sikorsky S-92 and 11 AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters will be located at 10 bases across the UK. |
| Staff: Bristow plans to employ 350 people to carry out the contract. | Staff: Bristow plans to employ 350 people to carry out the contract. |
| Bidders: Won by Bristow | Bidders: Won by Bristow |
| Plasma Resources UK | Plasma Resources UK |
| Value: £200m | Value: £200m |
| What stage in the process: Health minister Dan Poulter announced in January that the Department of Health is examining a sale of part of all of Plasma Resources UK to the private sector as "the best way for it to achieve growth." Potential investors were asked to state what level of resources they would make available, how they planned to grow operations, and how products would be developed. | What stage in the process: Health minister Dan Poulter announced in January that the Department of Health is examining a sale of part of all of Plasma Resources UK to the private sector as "the best way for it to achieve growth." Potential investors were asked to state what level of resources they would make available, how they planned to grow operations, and how products would be developed. |
| Staff: 1,200 (200 in the UK, 1,000 in the US) | Staff: 1,200 (200 in the UK, 1,000 in the US) |
| Possible bidders: Bioscience and healthcare companies. Baxter, Grifols and Biotest are likely to consider, as well as private equity firms. | Possible bidders: Bioscience and healthcare companies. Baxter, Grifols and Biotest are likely to consider, as well as private equity firms. |
| Banks | Banks |
| Value: Dependent on share prices | Value: Dependent on share prices |
| What stage in the process: Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, bailed out in the wake of the financial crisis with £66bn of taxpayer funds, will be returned to the private sector at a point yet to be determined, but it is thought that George Osborne and David Cameron wants them fully returned to the private sector before the next election in 2015. The government could start selling off shares in the companies on a phased basis. RBS is 81% owned by the taxpayer, while Lloyds is 39% state owned. The parliamentary commission on banking standards may recommend that RBS be nationalised, then split into a good bank and a bad bank, but the government is unlikely to be supportive, partly because it could slow down the privatisation process. Shares could be sold or gifted to the public. | What stage in the process: Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, bailed out in the wake of the financial crisis with £66bn of taxpayer funds, will be returned to the private sector at a point yet to be determined, but it is thought that George Osborne and David Cameron wants them fully returned to the private sector before the next election in 2015. The government could start selling off shares in the companies on a phased basis. RBS is 81% owned by the taxpayer, while Lloyds is 39% state owned. The parliamentary commission on banking standards may recommend that RBS be nationalised, then split into a good bank and a bad bank, but the government is unlikely to be supportive, partly because it could slow down the privatisation process. Shares could be sold or gifted to the public. |
| Staff: 227,000 (RBS: 123,000, Lloyds: 104,000) | Staff: 227,000 (RBS: 123,000, Lloyds: 104,000) |
| Possible bidders: Flotation planned | Possible bidders: Flotation planned |
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