§ Sir Graham Pageasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what limits have been set on the external financing of the nationalised industries for the financial year 1981–2.
§ Mr. BiffenThe limits are as follows:
Nationalised Industries' External Financing Limits 1981–82* £ million National Coal Board 882 Electricity Council and boards -210 North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board 32 South of Scotland Electricity Board 77 British Gas Corporation -390 British National Oil Corporation -360 Post Office (Post and Giro) 16 (Telecommunications) 180 British Airways Board 101 British Airports Authority 14 British Railways Board 920 British Transport Docks Board -5 British Waterways Board 32 National Freight Company 7 National Bus Company 75 Scottish Transport Group 17 British Shipbuilders 150 Notes: *No figure is included for British Aerospace on assumption of a sale of shares in a successor company in 1980–81, or for the British Steel Corporation where a limit will be announced in the light of its corporate plan expected shortly. As in the past the forecast for BNOC does not represent a limit. The limit for the British Gas Corporation is before the imposition of the proposed gas levy. These limits have been set, following consultations with the industries concerned, on the lines set out in the answer my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave on 4 August 1980 to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, South (Sir W. Clark).—[Vol. 990, c. 41–42].