HC Deb 24 January 1990 vol 165 cc745-6W
David Martin

38. Mr. To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people purchased shares in the privatised water companies.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The information is not available in the form requested, but the number of original allocatees recorded on the interim register for each company was as follows:

Numbers
Anglian 274,167
Northumbrian 255,476
North West 244,491
Severn Trent 317,673
Southern 261,704
South West 129,064
Thames 680,816
Welsh 143,099
Wessex 188,541
Yorkshire 210,091
Total 2,705,122

These registers include corporate holdings as well as individuals. The offer also allowed for holdings by individuals in any or all of the 10 companies and therefore holders may appear on more than one register.

77. Mr. Gow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many worker shareholders there are in the nine privatised water authorities in England.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

A total of 34,208 employees representing 85.55 per cent. of the eligible work force of the nine companies have successfully applied for shares in the companies under free and matching offers. In addition some of the small number of employees not eligible for the free and matching offers will have successfully applied for shares, but exact figures could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

49. Mr. Riddick

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the total value of the planned investment programmes of the privatised water and sewage businesses in England and Wales over the next 10 years.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The total estimated value of the planned investment programmes of the newly privatised water and sewage businesses in England and Wales is £24.6 billion at November 1989 prices.