§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out in the Official Report the detailed considerations which led him to increase the external financing limits for the National Coal Board by 17.6 per cent. between 1979–80 and 1980–81.
§ Mr. John MooreAs in the case of other nationalised industries, the Board's need for external finance is the residual of very large flows of revenue and expenditure. There is, thus, no simple relationship between the requirement for external finance in one year and that in another. But one reason for the higher external financing limit in 1980–81 is an increase in real terms in capital expenditure on fixed assets.