HL Deb 15 October 1976 vol 375 cc751-2WA
Lord REDESDALE

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (a) whether they will publish the sub-index of the gross domestic product (output) index covering the public sector, from 1970 to the latest available date;
  2. (b) whether they will publish rates of return for each of the nationalized

INDUSTRY Percentages
1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76
National Coal Board 5.4 — — — 6.7 7.5
Electricity (England & Wales) 4.1 5.1 5.8 2.9 2.1 7.3
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board 5.4 4.4 4.8 5.1 5.6 7.0
South of Scotland Electricity Board 6.0 5.9 6.7 6.0 5.2 9.4
British Gas Corporation 6.2 7.2 7.3 5.4 5.5 8.6
British Steel Corporation 2.9 — 3.4 6.8 8.9 —
Post Office* (Telecommunications) 9.8 8.6 6.9 6.4 5.2 14.1
BOAC British Airways Board 4.2 0.8 6.7 12.0 1.0 1.7
BEA 5.1 5.7
British Airports Authority 12.3 14.3 17.4 16.1 11.5 15.0
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
British Railways Board**
British Transport Docks Board 3.5 5.6 6.1 7.6 7.8 8.0
British Waterways Board**
National Freight Corporation — — 1.1 0.2 — —
National Bus Company — 4.0 14.5 7.5 — —
Scottish Transport Group — 6.7 5.9 4.8 — —
* Return on net assets is not an appropriate measure for the other three Post Office businesses (Posts, Giro and Remittance Services, and Data Processing Services).
** The BRB and the BWB receive grant determined each year in advance to compensate them for the cost of unremunerative services they have a statutory duty to provide. Rate of return on net assets, either before or after grant is not an appropriate measure in these circumstances.

industries during each of the years from 1970 to the latest available date.

Lord JACQUES

(a) I regret that the sub-index is not available; the output measure of gross domestic product is prepared from data collected and compiled according to type of industrial activity not according to sector.

(b) The table below shows rates of return on net assets calculated before interest but after historic cost depreciation taken or derived from the Annual Reports and Accounts of the industries concerned.

House adjourned at nineteen minutes past four o'clock.