Employment (North-West Region) (Hansard, 12 February 1976)

§ 56. Mr. Rose

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will announce further measures to generate job opportunities and protect existing employment in the North West Region in view of the current figures for unemployment in the region.

NATIONALISED INDUSTRIES
TABLE 1
Surplus (Deficit)^*
£ million
Industry	1972–73	1973–74	1974–75
National Coal Board	…	…	(83.7)†	(130.7)†	—†
Electricity (England and Wales)	…	…	2.0	(176.3)	(257.6)
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	…	(2.5)	(2.7)	(2.3)
South of Scotland Electricity Board	…	…	(0.6)	(10.1)	(20.4)
British Gas Corporation	…	…	5.7	(41.3)	(44.2)
British Steel Corporation	…	…	2.8	34.3	65.5
Post Office	…	…	(64.1)	(128.1)	(306.7)
British Airways Board	…	…	0.8	10.5	(9.4)
British Airports Authority	…	…	6.8	3.8	3.8
			1972	1973	1974
British Railways Board	…	…	(26.2)‡	(51.6)‡	(157.8)‡
British Transport Docks Board	…	…	(1.4)	1.7	0.7
British Waterways Board	…	…	(3.1)	(3.8)	(5.3)
National Freight Corporation	…	…	1.2	0.1	(12.3)
National Bus Company	…	…	5.5§	2.1§	(12.3)§
Scottish Transport Group	…	…	0.9§	1.0§	(7.4)§
^* After depreciation and interest charges and, where applicable, extraordinary items, minority interests, taxation and dividend on public dividend capital. Before, where applicable, grants to meet deficits on revenue account, as well as compensation for price restraint.
† After taking account of social and operating grants totalling £15.4 million in 1972–73, £130.1 million in 1973–74 and £68.2 million in 1974–75.
‡ The British Railways Board received specified grants totalling £115.4 million in 1972, £138.4 million in 1973 and £231.2 million in 1974.
§ The National Bus Company and Scottish Transport Group receive bus fuel tax grants and local authority revenue subsidies, both of which are substantial.

TABLE 2
Compensation for Price Restraint^*
Industry	1972–73	1973–74	1974–75
Electricity (England and Wales)	…	…	—	268.6	257.6
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	…	—	8.4	2.3
South of Scotland Electricity Board	…	…	—	14.8	20.4
British Gas Corporation	…	…	—	74.9	42.3
Post Office	…	…	—	133.3	307.0
^* Payable under the Statutory Corporations (Financial Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1975. Amounts are shown under the years in which compensation has been credited in the industries' accounts. The compensation is actually paid to the industries in arrears and has now all been paid, except that no order has yet been made for compensation to the British Gas Corporation for 1974–75. The Government are liable in respect of compensation to the British Gas Corporation for price restraint in 1974–75 up to the limit set by the deficit in that year shown in the Corporation's Annual Report and Accounts.

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