§ Mr. Joel Barnettasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the assumptions underlying the figures assumed for shortfall on net overseas and market borrowing of nationalised industries in Cmnd. 7746 and compare these with previous assumptions, including those relating to price increases.
§ Mr. Biffen[pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1979, c 423]: In arriving at the nationalised industries' figures in Cmnd. 7746, a shortfall allowance has been made in relation to total nationalised industry borrowing, that is net borrowing from Government—line 5 of table 2—as well as net overseas and market borrowing—line 9 of table 1. The allowance was £200 million—at 1979 survey prices—in 1979–80 and £300 million in 1980–81. These figures can be compared with the shortfall allowances in Cmnd. 7439 of £200 million—also at 1979 survey prices—for 1978–79 and £550 million for 1979–80—the then current and following years. These estimates of shortfall reflect judgments derived partly from the record 766W of shortfall in past years, and partly from an assessment of the impact of economic developments on the industries.