HC Deb 02 December 1985 vol 88 cc102-3W
Mr. Blair

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the financial years 1970–71 to 1988–89 the actual or planned figures for (a) the special sales of assets programme, (b) sales of public sector buildings and land outside the special sales of assets programme and (c) the proceeds of asset sales retained within nationalised businesses.

Mr. MacGregor

Figures for special sales of assets for the years 1979–80 to 1988–89 were provided in the answer my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, Moorlands (Mr. Knox) on 25 November 1985 at column466. The only material receipts arising in previous years which were treated similarly were proceeds from the sale of BP shares in 1977–78, which totalled £548 million.

For information on receipts from the sale of land and buildings from 1979–80 to 1988–89, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today in reply to his other question on the same subject. Figures for years before 1976–77 are not readily available. Figures for 1976–77 to 1978–79 are as follows:

Sales of land and buildings
£ million
1976–77 183
1977–78 304
1978–79 590

Figures for sales of assets by nationalised industries for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 were contained in answers given to the hon. Member on 26 July 1985 and 14 November 1985 at columns 861 and 275, respectively. Information for 1988–89 will not be available until after the 1986 public expenditure White Paper is published. Directly comparable figures for years before 1979–80 are not available.

Mr. Blair

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the years 1979–80 to 1988–89 an analysis by programme of sales of public sector land and buildings outside the special sales of assets programme, distinguishing at programme level between receipts associated with the sale of public sector housing and other items.

Mr. MacGregor

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 November 1985 and to my letter to him of 9 September 1985 which included material for 1979–80 to 1987–88. The figures given earlier include council house sales which account for some 90 per cent. of sales of land and buildings in the housing programme. Information for 1988–89 will not be available until after the 1986 public expenditure White Paper is published.