§ Mr. Strawasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Inland Revenue makes it its practice, in assessing the tax liability of a private company which has disposed of assets to a nationalised undertaking or publicly owned company, to discover the extent to which such a disposal has reduced the tax liability of the nationalised undertaking or publicly owned company concerned and the agregate amount involved;
(2) whether any gains or other earnings to publicly owned undertakings and companies arising from such undertakings and companies engaging in operations not in the normal course of their main business with other companies so that tax liability of these other companies is reduced, are taken into account when the external financing limits or amount of grant or loans are set: and, if so, to what extent.
§ Mr. RidleyI regret that in the time available it has not been possible to provide the information requested. I shall write to the hon. Member.