§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give figures for the last five years, broken down by years, for the amount borrowed by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, and at what rates of interest and over what periods, and also for borrowings by the South of Scotland Electricity Board.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellAs the reply includes a table of figures I will, with permission, circulate the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Following is the information:
Apart from foreign borrowing of 8 million European Units of Account (£3.3m.) by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and 60 million Deutsche Marks (£6.3m) by the South of Scotland Electricity Board, all long-term borrowing by the Boards during the last five years has been from the Government. These Government advances are repayable by equal annual or half-yearly instalments of principal over a period of 25 years. Details are as follows:—
Rate of Interest Amount (£m.) Year Per cent. NSHEB SSEB 1965–66 … 6½ 3.5 29.5 6⅝ 12.3 3.0 6¾ 0.3 0.5 7 0.6 2.0 16.7 35.0 1966–67 6¾ 1.2 23.5 7 1.0 8.0 7¼ 13.0 — 7⅜ 11.8 — 27.0 31.5 1967–68 6⅞ — 4.25 7 9.7 2.5 7⅜ 0.3 44.75 10.0 51.50 1968–69 … 7⅜ 1.2 — 7½ 9.8 1.5 7⅝ — 2.5 7¾ — 5.0 8 — 3.0 8⅛ — 2.0 8¼ — 33.0 8⅜ 1.2 1.0 12.2 48.0 1969–70 8⅞ 1.9 — 9 6.835 34.0 9⅛ 0.4 16.50 9.135 50.50 1970–71 (six months to 30.9.70) 9 2.2 — 9½ 5.4 — 9¼ 1.4 7.5 8⅝ — 3.5 9.0 11.0