§ Mr. Chopeasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total financial contribution made by port employers to the national dock labour scheme in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe total contributions by port employers to the National Dock Labour Board (NDLB), covering the board's own operations and those of the national voluntary severance scheme (NVSS) during the past five calendar years, were as follows:
Total £ million National Dock Labour Board £ million National Voluntary Severance Scheme £ million 1980 14.4 4.9 9.5 1981 17.7 5.2 12.5 1982 17.3 5.0 12.3 1983 15.9 5.0 10.9 1984 16.0 4.5 11.5
§ Mr. Chopeasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total cost to public funds of the national dock labour scheme in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe industry's national voluntary severance scheme administered by the National Dock Labour Board has received help from public funds in a variety of ways.
Loans were made by the Government to the National Dock Labour Board as follows:
£ million 1980–81 12.3 1981–82 45.0 1982–83 11.0 Capital repayment of £1.5 million was made in 1980–81 in respect of a previous loan. Of the loans made in 1980–81 and 1981–83, £23.8 million was written off under the provisions of the Transport Act 1983. £44.5 million of the loans remains outstanding.
Interest paid on these and previous loans was as follows:
£ million 1980–81 0.4 1981–82 2.4 1982–83 *4.0 *In respect of previous year's interest. Under the terms of the current loan conditions, the Government have waived interest payments for the three years 1982–82 to 1984–85.
In addition, the Government have paid the following amounts of grant to the Port of London Authority and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company in respect of the severance of registered dock workers:
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£ million 1980–81 nil 1981–82 9.7 1982–83 40.3 1983–84 17.7 1984–85 15.2
§ Mr. Chopeasked the Secretary of State for Employment what he expects to be the total cost to (a) public funds and (b) port employers of the national dock labour scheme in 1985.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyEmployers are expected to pay about £4 million for the National Dock Labour Board's operations in 1985. The costs of the industry's national voluntary severance scheme will depend on the number of severances achieved and on discussions which are now urgently in train with representatives of the National Association of Port Employers about future funding arrangements for the scheme.