§ Mr. Stanleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total subsidies made available to the nationalised industries in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what was the breakdown of the subsidy figure for each year.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe following payments were made during the period 1969–70 to 1973–74. The figures exclude grants of a kind which are also available to private industry:
37W
(£ million) 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 BRITISH GAS CORPORATION Compensation for additional gasification of coal and production of coke 1.2 0.6 — — — Compensation for accelerating capital expenditure to promote employment — — — — 0.4 Compensation for consequences of price restraint — — — — 33.4 POST OFFICE Compensation for consequences of price restraint — — — — 9.7 BRITISH RAILWAYS BOARD Grants towards costs of unremunerative railway services* 71.1 60.5 65.2 66.3 81.5 Surplus track grants 15.0 10.0 7.5 8.5 1.8 Infrastructure grants† 0.4 0.3 1.2 11.1 17.0 Research and Development 0.5 1.0 1.6 1.4 1.8 Grants towards cost of installing automatic level crossings — 0.7 — — — Remained payment of grant to meet earlier deficit on revenue account 2.0 — — — — Grants under Transport (Grants) Act 1972 — — — 27.0 — Cash flow shortfall grant — — — 42.0 95.0 NATIONAL FREIGHT CORPORATION Freight sundries grant 17.0 12.4 8.0 3.7 1.6 NATIONAL BUS COMPANY Rural bus and ferry grants†‡ — — 0.3 0.6 0.7 New bus grants† 2.1 1.9 3.6 5.9 6.1 Grants under Transport (Grants) Act 1972 — — — 7 — BRITISH WATERWAYS BOARD Grant in Aid 1.5 1.8 2.9 3.1 3.8 Grant towards capital expenditure on bridges 0.4 1.2 0.7 1.2 1.3 SCOTTISH TRANSPORT GROUP Grant towards the deficit of David Mac Brayne Ltd in return for the provision of approved steamer and haulage services 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.8 Rural bus and ferry grants†‡ — — 0.1 0.5 0.7 Capital grants towards the provision of roll-on roll-off ferry terminals in the Clyde area — — — 0.4 0.04 New bus grant† 0.4 0.3 0.6 1.0 1.1 Totals 126.6 102.9 203.2 210.24 506.34 * Includes payments made to passenger transport executives in respect of their payments to British Railway services. † These grants are also available to other operators in the industry. ‡ One-half of the amounts shown is paid by the relevant local authority.