§ Mr HigginsThe £9,562 million of advances to nationalised industries since 1945 and outstanding at 30th June, 1971, is made up as follows:
£ million Post Office 2,194 National Coal Board 726 Electricity Council 3,401 North of Scotland Hydro-Electricity Board 204 South of Scotland Electricity Board 391 Gas Council 1,306 British Steel Corporation 395 British European Airways Corporation 160 British Airports Authority 58 British Railways Board 375 British Transport Docks Board 117 British Waterways Board 7 Transport Holding Company 201 National Freight Corporation 25 National Bus Company 2 £9,562 Details of capital debt and revenue deficits amounting to £2,585 million written off since 1946 are as follows:
regarding the completion of non-departmental research projects which he finances; whether he is satisfied that these requirements are adhered to; whether there is non-productive expenditure; and how much.
§ Mr. HigginsAll Her Majesty's Treasury non-departmental economic and social research is commissioned on a customer-contractor basis with every project covered by an individual research contract. Contracts set out the necessary terms of reference including stop clauses which would enable the agreement to be terminated should the work prove nonproductive or fail to reach an appropriate quality standard. Payments under a contract would be subject to the research 257W developing at a satisfactory rate of progress over the time scale of the project and reaching a successful conclusion.
Before a research project is commissioned the objectives and the methodology of inquiry are rigorously defined and effective departmental arrangements are made to monitor the progress of the work. To date, all research directly undertaken on behalf of H.M. Treasury has resulted in some useful contribution to departmental thinking and policy making.