§ Mr. Tebbitasked the Secretary of State for Industry, pursuant to his reply of 11th November to the hon. Member for Chingford, what is the total amount of expenditure which has been committed or incurred by his Department in excess of that envisaged at the time of the estimates upon which the Chancellor's Budget Statement was based (a) the purchase of shares in BLMC, and the schemes for additional support to industry under Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972, for support of individual firms under Sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act, for payments under the Statutory Corporations (Financial Provisions) Act and for the provision of additional public dividend capital to the British Steel Corporation, and (b) running expenses of his Department.
§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieUnder (a) of the hon. Member's Question, additional provision of £625.6 million has either been taken in the Summer Supplementary Estimates or will be sought in the Winter Supplementary Estimates which will be published shortly. Under (b) additional provision of £5.6 million was taken in the Summer Supplementary Estimates. The need for a substantial part of this expenditure was foreseen at the time of the Budget, though it would have been premature to seek substantive Estimates provision.