§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Transport what were the levels of Government investment in British Rail in each of the successive years from 1963, expressed at current and in 1983 prices.
§ Mr. RidleyThe information is as follows:
£ million—current prices £ million—(1983 prices) Year Expenditure on capital and revenue investment Expenditure on continuous welded rail Total 1963 73 (463) 13 (83) 86 (546) 1964 84 (519) 14 (87) 98 (606) 1965 92 (553) 20 (120) 112 (673) 1966 81 (469) 20 (116) 101 (585) 1967 65 (378) 17 (98) 82 (476) 1968 60 (331) 19 (105) 79 (436) 1969 40 (210) 22 (117) 62 (327) 1970 47 (231) 27 (135) 74 (366) 1971 60 (271) 28 (127) 88 (398) 1972 75 (314) 31 (129) 106 (443) 1973 83 (296) 35 (124) 118 (420) 1974 106 (316) 42 (127) 148 (443) 1975 166 (416) 50 (126) 216 (542) 1976 192 (418) 47 (102) 239 (520) 1977 204 (393) 55 (106) 259 (499) 1978 235 (405) 70 (120) 305 (525) 1979 287 (435) 69 (104) 356 (539) 1980 333 (421) 82 (104) 415 (525) 1981 308 (350) 89 (101) 397 (451) 1982 251 (264) 77 (81) 328 (345) 1983 276 (276) 105 (105) 381 (381) Notes:
1. Figures for 1963–74 have been provided by the British Railways Board and converted to 1983 prices using its deflators.
2. Figures for 1975 to 1981 are derived from table 8.1 of the "Report of the Review of Railway Finances" (Vol. 1), 1983, revalued using the GDP market price deflator.
3. Figures for 1982–83 have been provided by the British Railways Board; those for 1982 have been converted to 1983 prices using the GDP market price deflator.
759W
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Transport what British Rail assets have been sold off in each of the years since 1963; and for what price.
§ Mr. RidleyThe financial summary tables in the British Railways Board's annual report and accounts record proceeds from sales of scrap and disposals of assets in each of these years as follows:
Year £ million 1963 12.0 1964 14.6 1965 22.5 1966 33.6 1967 31.3 1968 23.4 1969 18.2 1970 18.7 1971 15.3 1972 23.7 1973 21.6 1974 17.2
Total traffic through GB seaports 1965–82 million tonnes Total Oil Unitised Conventional Other (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) 1965 319.2 157.2 4.5 14.2 143.3 1966 324.4 171.4 4.6 148.3 1967 324.7 173.9 6.1 144.7 1968 341.4 183.6 9.0 148.7 1969 354.7 198.2 12.9 143.6 1970 370.0 210.2 16.9 9.6 133.3 1971 368.3 214.7 19.3 134.3 1972 376.6 218.0 22.5 136.2 1973 399.5 232.1 28.5 138.9 1974 390.8 226.5 30.6 133.7 1975 340.2 186.2 29.1 6.1 118.9 1976 360.3 200.1 32.7 6.4 121.1 1977 370.2 208.4 35.5 5.9 120.4 1978 392.4 227.7 39.3 5.7 119.8 1979 426.8 251.1 41.7 5.9 128.1 1980 411.8 244.6 41.7 5.3 120.2 1981 405.5 230.1 43.0 4.1 128.3 1982 417.5 241.2 45.4 3.9 127.1 Notes:
(1) Foreign, Coastwise and One-Port Traffic.
(2) Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products.
(3) All traffic carried in containers or on roll-on/roll-off services.
(4) Estimated prior to 1982, no estimates readily available for 1966 to 1969 and 1971 to 1974. Includes non-oil traffic with off-shore installations.
(5) Bulk and Semi-Bulk Traffic.
§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what facilities are available at British ports for loading coal efficiently; what size of vessels can be accommodated and worked at the principal berths at each of the main ports concerned; and what plans he has to help develop additional coal-handling capacity.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe most recent survey of berth facilities in British ports was conducted in 1979 and published by the National Ports Council in its "Annual Digest of Port Statistics 1978 Volume II" (a copy is held in the Library). Since the survey substantial investment in coal loading facilities has been taking place at several ports, including Workington, Ayr, Leith and Tyne.
The question of new coal handling facilities is a matter for the ports and their customers.
760W
Year £ million 1975 18.7 1976 28.9 1977 11.9 1978 14.4 1979 19.3 1980 39.0 1981 50.5 1982 40.6 1983 116.7 Information is not readily available as to the particular assets covered by these figures.