§ Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister of Power if he will give the total indebtedness of the National Coal Board for each year from 1950 to the present day.
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§ Mr. FreesonThe following is the information:—
NATIONAL COAL BOARD OUTSTANDING DEBT TO THE EXCHEQUER AT THE END OF EACH ACCOUNTING YEAR OF THE BOARD Post-vesting advances Compensation for vested assets £ Total 1950 32,454,002 304,757,595 337,211,597 1951 32,233,065 307,534,113 339,767,178 1952 63,446,606 301,333,846 364,780,452 1953 104,743,284 344,975,213 449,718,497 1954 158,784,155 374,509,541 533,293,696 1955 247,219,542 370,707,683 617,927,225 1956 261,669,542 370,852,666 632,522,208 1957 349,278,250 367,342,238 716,620,488 1958 478,409,283 359,916,201 838,325,484 1959 585,046,749 356,017,126 941,063,875 1960 621,411,791 351,988,246 973,400,037 1961 605,811,791 351,988,246 957,800,037 1962 614,851,475 347,825,034 962,676,509 1963–4* 588,400,000 339,100,000 927,500,000 1964–5 625,600,000 334,500,000 960,100,000† 1965–6 575,085,482 1966–7 612,735,482 * The Board's accounting year was changed from the Saturday nearest to 31st December to the last Saturday in March. † Under the Coal Industry Act 1965 £415 million of the total outstanding debt at 27th March 1965 was cancelled and the distinction between liabilities for vested assets and post-vesting was discontinued.