§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is in a position to announce a revised external financing limit for the British Steel Corporation.
§ Mr. Norman LamontAn EFL for BSC of £275 million in 1984–85 was announced in November 1983 and was subsequently reduced following the Budget abolition of the national insurance surcharge to £273 million. Since then, BSC and its partners have terminated an uneconomic arrangement for the production of iron ore in Canada. The total cost to BSC of these arrangements is estimated at £130 million. BSC's EFL is being increased by £70 million to £343 million on this account, the balance to be funded from savings within BSC's existing EFL. Provision for additional grant will be sought in a Spring Supplementary Estimate and the increase in the EFL charged to the reserve.