National Coal Board (Subsidiary Companies)

HC Deb 28 May 1968 vol 765 cc1524-5

7. Sir J. Eden

asked the Minister of Power whether he will require the National Coal Board to include in their 1967–68 report detailed accounts for all subsidiary companies, fully owned and partly owned.

Mr. Freeson

The accounts of wholly owned subsidiaries are consolidated in the Board's accounts. Accounts of partly-owned subsidiary companies are summarised in notes 27 and 28 of the N.C.B. Accounts for 1966–67. This will be continued.

Sir J. Eden

Would the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that, in Reports and Accounts published in the future, all purchases which have resulted in a majority shareholding by the National Coal Board or one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries will be described?

Mr. Freeson

I thought that I had indicated that the information which the hon. Gentleman seeks is consolidated in the accounts. In addition, information about partly-owned subsidiaries is placed in the Library of the House of Commons. The whole object of these methods is to ensure that Parliament has an oppor-tunity of seeing the information.