§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will tabulate in the Official Report at 1985 prices the percentage return on national capital required or obtained by each regional water authority in England together with the sum in each case for the financial year 1978–79, the latest year for which figures are available and his estimates for 1985–86, respectively.
§ Mr. John PattenFinancial targets in the form of a rate of return on net current cost assets were first set for water authorities in respect of 1981-82. The rates of return required of regional water authorities in England for the years 1984–85 and 1985–86 are set out in the following table. When account is taken of the carry forward of any under or over achievement of the target set for the preceding year, all English authorities met their financial targets in 1984–85.
Regional Water Authority Required return (per cent.) 1984–85 1985–86 North West 0.95 1.43 Northumbrian 1.25 1.48 Severn Trent 1.25 1.47 Yorkshire 1.00 1.43 Anglian 1.36 1.62 Thames 0.50 1.37 Southern 0.91 1.41 Wessex 0.61 1.40 South West 1.26 1.54