HC Deb 02 December 1985 vol 88 cc58-9W
Mr. O'Brien

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will set the external financing limits for the regional water authorities for the year 1986–87; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Patten

The external finance limits I have notified (excluding MAFF grants which are additional and will be notified separately in due course) are:

£ million
Anglian 40.5
North West 54
Northumbrian 20
£ million
Severn Trent 2.5
South West 4
Southern 0
Thames -85
Wessex 25
Yorkshire 32

Mr. O'Brien

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that water authorities should be able to raise capital to finance their capital programmes on the open market; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Patten

It is Government policy at present that water authorities and other nationalised industries should normally take their loan finance from the national loans fund. This has the benefit of lower costs for the public sector and the industry itself.