The government has pencilled in November as the month to sell its 49% stake in British Telecom; although a price for the stake has not formally been agreed, observers have settled on a figure of between GBP8,000m and GBP11,000m for the stake; the government is expected to break with past privatisations by separating the sale to small investors from that to institutions; Ministers are said to be considering a longer period for the retail sale, allowing people to use banks and building societies to buy shares.
