§ Mr. Jeffrey Archerasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the effect on public expenditure of the alternative programme, details of which have been sent to him.
§ Sir G. HoweI understand my hon. Friend to be asking for the cost of nationalising the largest 25 companies.
The cost of purchasing the ordinary shares of the 25 companies with the largest turnover whose ordinary shares are quoted would be about £12,000 million. This figure includes the cost of increasing the Government holding in British Petroleum to 100 per cent.