§ Mr. Blairasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 for each organisation treated as a nationalised industry in at least one year the actual or planned figures, as appropriate, for capital requirements and financing in a form identical to table 5.1 of the public expenditure White Paper, Crrind. 9428-II;
(2) if he will publish tables for the years 1979–80 to 1985–86, comparable with table 5.1 in the public expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 9428-II. showing entries or blanks as appropriate for those organisations which have been treated as nationalised industries in at least one of those years.
§ Mr. Peter ReesI regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. Therefore, I shall write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
§ Mr. Blairasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table in cash terms showing the successive estimates for nationalised industries' total external finance, as in the bottom line of table 5.1 of the public expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 9428-II, in annual public expenditure White Paper since Cmnd. 7439, together with the eventual outturn.
§ Mr. Peter ReesPrecise comparisons cannot be made between planned and outturn external finance figures because of a number of changes which have taken place in the composition of the nationalised industry sector and of external finance. Available information is as follows:
863W
£ million cash 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 Cmnd. 8175* — — 2,967 2,284 1,046 73 — — — — Cmnd. 8494‡ — — — 3,393 2,739 2,570 2,100 — — — Cmnd. 8789║ — — — — 2,253 2,625 2,261 1,803 — — Cmnd. 9143¶ — — — — — 2,500 1,881 1,145 91 — Cmnd. 9428• — — — — — — 3,211 1,319 178 -110 Outturn■ 2,020 2,613 2,900 3,254 1,852 2,285 3,859 — — — Notes:
1. For each White Paper the first figure shows estimated outtum for the then current year. Figures for the following years show expenditure plans.
2. Figures exclude definitional changes in external finance.
* In Cmnds. 7439, 7841, 8175 expenditure plans were presented on a volume basis. These figures have been converted to cash using GDP deflators.
† Figures for British Aerospace excluded beyond 1979–80 from this and subsequent White Papers.
‡ Figures for National Freight Company excluded from 1981–82. Figures for BNOC and British Transport Docks Board excluded from 1983–84. In subsequent White Papers figures for BNOC are included but from 1983–84 take account of disposal of former exploration and production interests.
║ Civil Aviation Authority figures included for the first time.
¶ Water Authorities included for the first time.
• Figures for BT and British Airways excluded from 1985–86 and for British Shipbuilders (Warshipbuilding Division) and the National Bus Company from 1986–87. London Regional Transport figures included for the first time.
■ Outturn figures are taken from Cmnd. 9428 for years to 1983–84 but CAA is only included from 1983–84 and Water Authorities from 1984–85. Privatised industries are included up to the point of privatisation. The 1984–85 outtum is taken from Cmnd. 9569, the 1984–85 Cash Limits Provisional Outturn White Paper.
§ Mr. Blairasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table in cash terms showing, for each of the years 1979–80 to 1984–85 for each of the organisations which has been included in at least one year in the equivalent of table 5.3 of the public expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 9428-II, those asset sales not included in the special sale of assets programme; whether these proceeds have directly accrued to the Exchequer or have remained in the relevant businesses; and, where these
£ million* 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 †1984–85 National Coal Board 28 21 24 22 24 22 Electricity (England and Wales) 16 10 17 21 23 28 North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board — — 1 1 1 5 South of Scotland Electricity Board — 1 1 1 1 2 British Gas Corporation 8 7 7 7 13 95 British National Oil Corporation — — — — — — British Steel Corporation 21 59 66 68 17 50 British Telecom 77 — — — — — Post Office 19 9 7 3 6 5 National Girobank — — — — — — British Airways Board 11 15 15 77 11 31 British Airports Authority — — — — 1 — British Railways Board 31 48 34 99 99 160 British Transport Docks Board 1 1 1 — — — British Waterways Board — — — — — 2 National Freight Company Ltd 10 17 18 — — — National Bus Company 4 11 6 6 7 8 Scottish Transport Group 1 1 — — 1 1 British Aerospace — — — — — — British Shipbuilders 3 2 2 2 13 1 Civil Aviation Authority — — 1 — — — Water (England and Wales) 10 13 16 11 13 20 Enterprise Oil — — — — — — * Rounded to nearest £ million. Where industries have been privatised the figures given relate to the period up to privatisation. † Provisional outturn. Although the potential for such asset sales is taken into account in the setting of external financing limits, formal disposal targets are not set.
§ Mr. Blairasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table of special asset sales for the years 1979–80 to 1985–86, providing
864Whave been set, if he will publish the target proceeds from such asset sales which have been set in the appropriate investment and Financing Review.
§ Mr. Peter ReesAll industries dispose of fixed assets which are surplus to operational requirements. The receipts from such sales, and other asset disposals which do not score as special sales of assets, are retained by the industry concerned, adding to its internal resources. The level of such asset sales, by industry, for the years requested has been:
individual items under each of the sub-headings (a) privatised nationalised industries and public shareholdings, (b) other asset sales and (c) revenue offsets.
§ Mr. MooreI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) on 1 July 1985, at columns41–2, which covers the years 1979–80 to 1984–85. So far in 1985–86, the residual shareholding in 865W British Aerospace has been sold, and there has been the second instalment payable in respect of the British Telecom sale.
§ Mr. Blairasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report those organisations treated as nationalised industries with negative external financing limits; and if he will place appropriate documentation in the Library, indicating the amounts involved, the terms on which such deposits are made and any Government guidelines on this subject matter.
§ Mr. Peter ReesTable 5.5 of the 1985 public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9428) gives a list of nationalised industries and their 1985–86 external financing limits (EFLs). The further information requested by the hon. Member is to be found in appendices 4 and 7 to the first report from the Treasury and Civil Service Committee, session 1983–84 (HC 170). Copies of this report and the 1985 public expenditure White Paper are available in the Library.
§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which nationalised industries present their annual accounts on a current cost basis and which on a historic cost basis; and whether it is his policy to secure a greater degree of uniformity.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to his reply, 22 July 1985]: All nationalised industries currently produce main or supplementary accounts on a current cost basis. In 1984, current cost main accounts were produced by the Electricity Council, Central Electricity Generating Board, British Gas Corporation, Post Office and British Airports Authority. Nationalised industries have rightly given prominence in their accounts to the effect of changing prices. Wherever appropriate, the Government's policy is to encourage progress towards greater uniformity in nationalised industries' financial reporting.