§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate(a) the number of individual shareholders in the United Kingdom and (b) the number who are direct shareholders in privatised companies.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 23 July 1990]: There are now nearly 11 million individual shareholders in the United Kingdom and over 5 million who are direct shareholders in privatised companies.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of corporation tax received from privatised companies in 1989–90.
§ Mr. Ryder[holding answer 23 July 1990]: The companies privatised since 1979 paid about £1½ billion in corporation tax in 1989–90.