HC Deb 10 February 1969 vol 777 cc216-7W
55. Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the boards and authorities for which he is responsible, and which have to submit items of major capital expenditure for his approval, stating the limits in each case; in the latest financial year, in each case, respectively, and in total, what were the amounts submitted for his approval, and what amounts he sanctioned; and how this compares with the original sums budgeted for by him.

1969(a) IN £M. AT MARCH, 1968 PRICES
Programme submitted Approved ceiling Expenditure level above which at present individual projects are normally subject to authorisations
British Railways Board (b) (c) … 109.7 95 (d) 0.25(h)
London Transport Board … 20.2 19.5 0.25
British Transport Docks Board … 18.7 18.7 0.5
Transport Holding Company (b) (c) … 32.7 32.7 (e) 0.25 (i)
British Waterways Board … 1.6 1.6 0.04
National Freight Corporation (b) … — (e)(f) (i)
National Bus Company (b) … — (e) (g) (i)
TOTAL … 182.9 167.5(f)(g)
Notes
(a) The nationalised transport industries work on a calendar year basis.
(b) On 1st January, 1969, various activities of the Railways Board and the Transport Holding Company were transferred to the National Freight Corporation and National Bus Company.
(c) The programmes submitted by the British Railways Board and the Transport Holding Company in 1968 for 1969 included provision for their successor bodies.
(d) The approved total after allowing for subsequent allocation to the National Freight Corporation and Scottish Transport Group was £84.6m.
(e) Of this, £32.3m. was subsequently allocated to the National Freight Corporation, National Bus Company and Scottish Transport Group.
(f) The ceiling allocated to the National Freight Corporation is £27.1m.
(g) The ceiling allocated to the National Bus Company is £13m.
(h) This is not a hard and fast level; depending on the nature of the scheme smaller projects may be individually authorised, while larger ones are sometimes left to the Board's discretion.
(i) This limit also provisionally applies to the National Freight Corporation and National Bus Company.