§ 2.45 p.m.
Lord Bruce of DoningtonMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will explain why, in answer to a Parliamentary Question on 16th February 1987 (H.C. Deb. col. 438) they stated, in relation to the Rolls-Royce RB 211–22B programme, that they "took all receipts for the first 555 engines totalling £330 million", whereas in reply to a question by Lord Bruce of Donington on 10th April 1986 (H.L. Deb. cols. 404/405) the receipts of the Government covering the identical item were stated to be "£30 million".
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Lucas of Chilworth)My Lords, the figure of £330 million relating to receipts for the RB211–22B programme was given in reply to both the Written Questions referred to, but this was incorrectly printed as £30 million in the Official Report of your Lordships' House (col. 405, 10th April 1986). I much regret that this error was not corrected. The figure of £330 million is a rounded figure; the precise figure is £334 million.
Lord Bruce of DoningtonMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his reply. Will he bear in mind that when I was in another place it was the practice of the Ministry to compare the Answer of the Minister the following day, with that which appeared in the Official Report, and for any printer's error to be corrected in the bound volume? There the figure still appears as £30 million. Will the noble Lord also bear in mind that the sudden accounting restoration of £300 million is rather greater than the debt of £283 million, which the Government evidently propose to write off the books of this highly successfully nationalised company? Will the Minister further bear in mind that the extra figure of £4 million on top of £300 million sounds rather strange as a rounded-up figure?
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, I have apologised for my department not correcting the error. Perhaps I may add that the noble Lord had a copy of the Written Answer. No doubt he also compared it with that printed in Hansard on that day. There is no question of any restoration.
Lord MorrisMy Lords, has my noble friend any idea why the noble Lord, Lord Bruce of Donington, did not point out that fact to him before the printed edition was published?
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, I think that my noble friend might address his question to the noble Lord, Lord Bruce of Donington.
§ Lord Lloyd of KilgerranMy Lords, in view of the large amount of money received by Rolls-Royce for engines, now admitted by the Minister, will he agree that there is a strong case for continuing with government control of Rolls-Royce?
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, the company has made splendid advances since 1971. As the noble Lord opposite knows, it is our general policy to return businesses of this nature to the private sector as soon as possible, and that is what we propose to do.