§ Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Arundel, Official Report, 16th December 1977, column 527, why the National Coal Board has not been given financial target rates of return on average net assets in the last 10 years as envisaged in the White Paper of 1967 entitled "A Review of Economic and Financial Objectives", Command Paper No. 3437.
§ Mr. EadieParagraph 35 of Command Paper No. 3437 recognised that targets might be set in other terms than a return on net assets. The target set was considered appropriate in the light of the financial circumstances of the industry.