HC Deb 01 December 1966 vol 737 cc140-1W
Mr. Peter Walker

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give the latest estimates of total investment for the nationalised industries for 1965, showing each industry separately, and estimate the proportion that the total figure represents of the total national capital formation excluding investment in dwellings;

(2) if he will give the total numbers employed by the nationalised industries on the most recent available date, showing each industry separately; and if he will give the proportion which the total figure represents as a percentage of the total working population of the United Kingdom;

(3) if he will estimate the value of the total output of the nationalised industries for the most recent convenient year, showing each industry separately; and if he will estimate the proportion which this represented of the value of the total national output;

(4) if he will give an estimate of the value of the current assets employed in

NATIONALISED INDUSTRIES
Gross fixed capital formation, 1965 Number of employees at end March, 1966 (Output contribution to G.N.P., 1965) Total net assets
£m. £m. £m.
Post Office 195 412,300 617 1,487
National Coal Board 85 481,400 600 800
Electricity Council and Boards 582 226,500 627 3,626
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board 16 3,900 19 256
South of Scotland Electricity Board 46 17,300 47 306
Gas Council and Boards 103 121,700 199 863
B.O.A.C 20 18,900* 60 128
B.E.A 17 19,300* 39 98
British Railways Board 109 379,000 538 1,614
London Transport Board 23 72,900 87 206
British Transport Docks Board 6 11,000 20 92
British Waterways Board 1 3,400 5 13
Transport Holding Company 15 101,000 118 167
Total 1,218 1,868,600 2,976 9,156
Total as percentage of all industries 25 7 10 Not available
* Including 6,000 employed overseas.

Notes:

1. The figures for gross fixed capital formation exclude expenditure on dwellings and land.

2. The figures of contribution to gross national product are estimated on the same basis as the total figure for public expenditure given in National Income Blue Book, Table 13.

3. The figures of total net assets are book values as shown in the balance sheets in the published accounts of each nationalised industry. They relate to end March, 1966 except for the five inland transport undertakings which are for end December, 1965. There is no comparable figure for all industries However, Table 66 of the Blue Book shows that for all public corporations as a whole t le net stock of physical assets valued at current replacement cost was about £12,000 million at the end of 1965 compared with about £75,600 million for all sectors of the economy.