HC Deb 30 January 1984 vol 53 c34W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total cost to public funds to date of developing and operating Concorde.

Mr. Butcher

The British manufacturers expenditures on developing Concorde, as reimbursed by the Government, totalled £574 million. The Government make no contribution to British Airways costs of operating Concorde, and have recently received £7.2 million as their share of the accumulated operating surpluses to 31 March 1984, as estimated by the airline.

Mr. Hayward

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's latest estimate of the cost to pubic funds of the in-service support of Concorde in 1983–84; and what contribution British Airways is making to this.

Mr. Norman Lamont

A winter Supplementary Estimate published on 17 November showed estimated expenditures of £15.9 million and estimated receipts of £15 million. The latter included an exceptional item of £10.1 million for a final payment of compensation for the loss of airframe spares. In the context of the proposed transfer to British Airways of the Government's responsibilities for funding of in-service support the airline have recently paid £9.3 million for the Government's entire stocks of spare parts and work in progress as at 31 March 1984. This payment also constitutes a contribution to the Department's 1983–84 support expenditures. As a result of these two exceptional receipts, a surplus to public funds of £8.4 million is now expected for the year as a whole.