§ Mr. Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement about authority for deficit grant payments to the National Coal Board.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe present provision in Estimates approved by this House for deficit payments to the NCB during 1984–85 is £795 million. This provision was based on the deficit in 1984–85 foreseen before the strike, plus the outstanding element of the deficit in 1983–84.
The summer Supplementary Estimate for NCB deficit grant contained a footnote explaining that payment of the full amount in the Estimate required an order under Section 3(4) of the Coal Industry Act 1980 increasing the aggregate amount of deficit grant authorised under the Act. I am laying such an order before the House in draft today.
The Government also intend to present a winter Supplementary Estimate for a further £607 million of deficit grant within the proposed new ceiling of £2,000 million.