§ Mr. Michael Forsythasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the statutory powers under which he is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerA full reply could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The main payments made under statutory powers to non-Government bodies in 1982–83 were as follows:
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Vote Section or Subhead and statutory power Amount £000's C1 Assistance to the coal industry 175,567 Pit Closure grants Coal Industry Act 1977, section 6 (as amended by Coal Industry Act 1980, section 6 and Coal Industry Act 1982, section 4(1)) Redundant Mineworkers Payment Scheme Concessionary Coal Payments Scheme Coal Industry Act 1977, Section 7 (as amended by Coal Industry Act 1982, Section 4(2)) Reimbursement of certain payments by the National Coal Board in respect of loss of superannuation and employment prospects Coal Industry Act 1967, Section 4 Coal Industry Act 1982, Section 3 Reimbursement of whole or part of certain deficiency payments by the National Coal Board in respect of the mineworkers payment scheme National Coal Board (Finance) Act 1976, Section 2 (As amended by the Coal Industry Act 1977, Schedule 4) Class IV, 5 B1 Research and Development 38,402 Science and Technology Act 1965, Section 5 C1 Operational and deficit grants to the National Coal Board 597,825 Coal Industry Act 1980 Section 3 (as amended by Coal Industry Act 1982, Section 2) Coal Industry Act 1977, Section 2 and Section 3. (The Coal Industry Bill includes a provision to repeal these Sections) C2 Compensation to the Central Electricity Generating Board for accelerating capital expenditure 12,882 Nuclear Safeguards and Electricity (Finance) Act 1978, Section 5 C3 Grant to the National Coal Board in respect of the cost of compensating pneumoconiotics or their dependents 1,064 Coal Industry Act 1975, Section 1 (as amended by Coal Industry Act 1980, Section 8) D6 Energy Conservation 6,445 Energy Conservation Act 1981, Section 15 Class IV, 7 Section A United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority research and development 214,816 Atomic Energy Authority Act 1954, Section 4 Section B Department of Energy Nuclear Services 2,912 Atomic Energy Act 1946, Section 16