HC Deb 02 March 1981 vol 1000 cc1-5W
Mr. Grylls

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the number of employees, (b) the volume of output, (c) in (i) constant and (ii) current prices, the

Nationalised Industries: Number of Employees*
1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
National Coal Board 246,000 247,100 242,000 240,500 234,900 232,500
Electricity Council and Boards 172,500 166,800 160,900 158,700 159,800 158,800
Scottish Electricity Boards 17,600 17,700 17,500 17,500 17,800 17,800
British Gas Corporation 102,500 103,000 100,700 99,800 101,800 104,100
British National Oil Corporation 400 700 1,000 1,400
British Steel Corporation 228,300 210,200 207,900 196,900 186,000 166,400
Post Office 428,300 415,280 407,400 401,300 411,000 422,900
British Airways Board 55,900 55,100 56,000 57,300 57,700 56,900
British Airports Authority 4,800 5,100 5,400 5,800 7,300 7,700
British Railways Board 255,900 251,600 243,500 240,100 243,300 244,100
British Transport Docks Board 11,900 11,400 11,700 11,500 11,600 11,500
British Waterways Board 3,100 3,200 3,200 3,200 3,100 3,200
National Freight Corporation 49,400 44,600 41,700 40,100 36,500 34,500
National Bus Company 69,600 70,500 67,900 65,100 64,300 63,400
Scottish Transport Group 15,600 15,900 14,700 14,100 13,800 12,800
British Aerospace 70,000 72,000 75,100
British Shipbuilders 87,400 82,500 72,700
* As shown in the annual reports and accounts of the industries. For some industries the numbers apply to the preceding calendar year.

Nationalised Industries: Volume of Output*
1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
National Coal Board (million tonnes) 127.2 125.8 120.8 120.9 119.9 123.3
Electricity Council and Boards (million KWH) 210.9 204.6 208.6 211.9 222.1 221.7
Scottish Electricity Boards (million KWH) 25.0 24.6 25.1 26.9 28.1 27.7
British Gas Corporation (million therms) 12,900 13,500 13,800 15,200 15,900 16,700
British National Oil Corporation (thousand barrels)† 3,900 23,400
British Steel Corporation (liquid steel production—million tonnes) 20.8 17.2 19.7 17.4 17.3 14.1
*As shown in the Annual Reports and Accounts of the industries.
†Refers only to the Corporation equity licence interests in the North Sea.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
1976–77 Current prices 1980 survey prices
Government grants* Net government lending Issues of PDC† Net over seas and market borrowing‡ Government grants* Net government lending Issues of PDC† Net over market borrowing‡
National Coal Board 54 –14 184 79 –20 268
Eleclricity (England and Wales) 24 –320 432 35 –467 631
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board 42 –17 50 61 –25 73
South of Scotland Electricity Board –30 45 –44 66
British Gas Corporation 5 –136 20 7 –199 29
British National Oil Corporation 218 318
British Steel Corporation 160 490 214 234 715 312
Post Office –6 –39 245 –9 –57 358

amount of Government grants, loans, issues of public dividend or other publicly provided capital and (d) in (i) constant and (ii) current prices any other net overseas and market borrowing, other than short-term, for each of the nationalised industries in each year since 1974.

Mr. Brittan

The following is the information. Volume of output figures are provided for the industries where this is an appropriate measure. Details of (c) and (d) for the years before 1976–77 are not readily available in the form requested and cannot be provided without disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.

1976–77 Current prices 1980 survey prices
Government grants* Net government lending Issues of PDC† Net over seas and market borrowing‡ Government grants* Net government lending Issues of PDC† Net over market borrowing‡
British Airways Board –25 10 17 –36 15 25
British Airports Authority 9 –1 13 –1
British Railways Board 469 –9 44 685 –13 64
British Transport Docks Board 1 –6 1 –9
British Waterways Board 12 1 18 1
National Freight Corporation 30 44
National Bus Company 40 4 58 6
Scottish Transport Group 11 –2 16 –3
691 –162 500 1251 1009 –315 730 1826
* Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
† Includes issues under Section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
‡ Excludes short—term borrowing and leasing.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
1977–78 Current prices 1980 survey prices
Government grants(1) Net government lending Issues of PDC(2) Net over seas and market borrowing(3) Government grants(1) Net government lending Issues of PDC(2) Net over market borrowing(3)
National Coal Board 75 21 135 96 27 174
Electricity (England and Wales) 7 –110 –284 9 –141 –365
North of Scotland Hydro—Electric Board 13 39 4 17 50 5
South of Scotland Electricity Board 13 –44 17 –57
British Gas Corporation –556 –16 –715 –21
British National Oil Corporation –271 463 –349 596
British Steel Corporation 216 445 134 278 572 172
Post Office –39 –12 –50 –15
British Airways Board –23 10 29 –30 13 37
British Airports Authority 5 –1 6 –1
British Railways Board 490 1 17 631 1 22
British Transport Docks Board —6 –8
British Waterways Board 15 1 19 1
National Freight Corporation 31 —5 40 –6
National Bus Company 46 59
Scottish Transport Group 10 –2 13 –3
British Aerospace 17 27 22 35
British Shipbuilders 19 35 24 45
Total 710 –700 482 456 914 –901 620 587
(1) Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
(2) Includes issues under Section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
(3) Excludes short—term borrowing and leasing.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
1978–79 Current prices 1980 survey prices
Government grants(1) Net government lending Issues of PDC(2) Net over seas and market borrowing(3) Government grants(1) Net government lending Issues of PDC(2) Net over market borrowing(3)
National Coal Board 172 303 193 201 355 226
Electricity (England and Wales) 5 –7 115 6 –8 135
North of Scotland Hydro—Electric Board 7 32 10 8 38 12
South of Scotland Electricity Board –38 –5 –44 –6
British Gas Corporation –666 –1 –781 –1
British National Oil Corporation 311 –42 364 –49

1978–79 Current prices 1980 survey prices
Government grants(1) Net government lending Issues of PDC(2) Net over seas and market borrowing(3) Government grants(1) Net government lending Issues of PDC(2) Net over market borrowing(3)
British Steel Corporation –162 850 –3 –190 996 –4
Post Office 18 4 –200 21 5 –234
British Airways Board –14 10 21 –16 12 24
British Airport Authority 1 –1 1 —1
British Railways Board 542 16 3 635 19 4
British Transport Docks Board –21 –25
British Waterways Board 20 23
National Freight Corporation 13 15
National Bus Company 48 5 56 6
Scottish Transport Group 13 1 15 1
British Aerospace 50 –2 59 –2
British Shipbuilders 11 55 –1 13 64 –1
Total 881 –171 864 91 1,032 –200 1,012 107
(1)Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
(2)Includes issues under Section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
(3)Excludes short-term borrowing and leasing.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
1979–80 Current prices 1980 survey prices
Government grants* Net government lending Issues of PDC† Net over seas and market borrowing‡ Government grants* Net government lending Issues of PDC† Net over market borrowing‡
National Coal Board 244 184 129 244 184 129
Electricity (England and Wales) 5 837 –823 5 837 –823
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board 11 13 –7 11 13 –7
South of Scotland Electricity Board 67 14 67 14
British Gas Corporation –120 –295 –120 –295
British National Oil Corporation 84 –112 84 –112
British Steel Corporation –209 905 –34 –209 905 –34
Post Office –184 –62 –184 –62
British Airways Board –6 10 141 –6 10 141
British Airports Authority 1 –1 1 –1
British Railways Board 687 26 18 687 26 18
British Transport Docks Board
British Waterways Board 23 3 23 3
National Freight Corporation 11 11
National Bus Company 60 12 60 12
Scottish Transport Group 14 2 —1 14 2 –1
British Aerospace 20 33 20 33
British Shipbuilders 31 –55 236 31 –55 236
Total 1,087 673 1,184 –1,032 1,087 673 1,184 –1,032
* Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
† Includes issues under section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
‡ Excludes short-term borrowing and leasing.