§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan,Official Report, 8 December, column 280, was the total (a) value of the local authorities assets transferred to the water authorities and (b) amount of debt liabilities for which the water authorities took responsibility.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 19 December 1988]: Figures for the book value of assets inherited from predecessor authorities by the 10 regional water authorities on 1 April 1974 are given in the published accounts of the water authorities for 1974–75, as are figures for debt liabilities taken over. Water authority accounts are laid before Parliament.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan,Official Report, 8 December, column 280, he will list (a) the local authorities, (b) the water authorities and (c) the assets involved in the transactions referred to, and the debt liabilities in each case.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 19 December 1988]: The local authorities concerned were those exercising water supply and sewerage functions in England and Wales up to 31 March 1974. The water authorities were the 10 regional water authorities set up under the Water Act 1973. In all, the water authorities took on the responsibilities of nearly 1,600 local undertakings. It would not be possible to draw up a list of those undertakings except at disproportionate cost. No list of the assets transferred from predecessor authorities is available centrally. It is not possible to assign a portion of the related debt to each item of the assets transferred.