§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Transport (1) if she will tabulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the capital expenditure incurred in each of the past three years on re-equipping and expanding British Railways workshops; and if she will tabulate the capital expenditure budgeted for each of the next three years, or such period as firm budgets have been established;
(2) if she will tabulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the capital expenditure spent in each railway workshop in each of the past three years, and the budgeted expenditure for each workshop for the next two years.
§ Mr. John Morris:Capital expenditure on British Railways workshops is set out below:
1965 £ 7.1million 1966 £5.9 million 1967 £3. million (estimate) 1968 £2.8 million (budget) There is no firm budget for later years.
Figures for individual workshops are not readily available, and it would not in any case be in the Board's commercial interest to disclose them.
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Transport how many people are now employed in British Railways workshops; how many were employed at the same time last year and the year before; and how many it is expected to employ next year and the year after.
§ Mr. John Morris:41,112 on 2nd November, 1967, the latest date for which information is readily available. The corresponding figure for 1966 was 42,309 and for 1965, 45,540. The estimate for 1968 is 41,000. The forecast for 1969 has not yet been prepared.
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Transport what was the value of work, and the, percentage of the total turnover carried out by British Railways workshops, for outside customers in the last financial year; and how much of this was for direct export.
154W
§ Mr. John Morris:I am informed by the British Railways Board that the value of the work was approximately £300,000—this represents less than 0.5 per cent. of total work done. None of the work was for direct export.
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Transport if she will tabulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the capital employed. the turnover, the profit and return on capital for British Railways workshops in the last financial year.
§ Mr. John Morris:The net book value of the assets employed in British Railways workshops at 31st December, 1966, and the total value of work done during that year were £77.7 million and £69.3 million respectively. Since this work is almost entirely for the Board itself, figures of profit and return on capital would be misleading.
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Transport if she will tabulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the value of the turnover for each product manufactured, or each type of service or repair undertaken in British Railways workshops in the last financial year.
§ Mr. John Morris:I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 266 of the British Railways Board Annual Report and Accounts for 1966.