§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total private capital embarked in British railways; what interest the net receipts return thereon; and what allowance is made for depreciation and sinking fund; and also how many passengers were carried last year, and what was the total tonnage of goods hauled.
§ MR. LLOYD GEORGEThe railway companies are not required to state in their returns to the Board of Trade the amounts carried to depreciation and sinking fund accounts. As regards the other points mentioned, the total paid-up capital of British railways at the end of 1905 was £1,088,421,000; the proportion borne by the net receipts to the paid-up capital was approximately 4 per cent.; the number of passengers carried last year, exclusive of season ticket holders, was 1,197,502,000; and the total tonnage of goods hauled was 461,162,000 tons. The hon. and gallant Member will find this information, with other particulars, in the Return Cd. 2948, a copy of which I have caused to be sent to him.