§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the expenditure in preparation for privatisation with regard to the water industry.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe latest estimates of expenditure in 1987–88 by the Department on preparation for the privatisation of the water authorities are as follows:
£ DOE staff and office services: 760,000 Advisers' Fees 650,000 These figures do not include certain other costs, such as accommodation, which are borne centrally. The first item includes the costs of the present system of financial control of the water authorities.
Information on water authorities' own expenditure in relation to privatisation is not available centrally.
§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much aid from the EEC regional fund has been received by the English water authorities in each year since 1980; how many applications are projected for each year until 1993; and whether water authorities will continue to be eligible for such grants before and after the privatisation of the water industry.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe total amounts of grant aid awarded to English water authorities from the European regional development fund since 1980 are:
£ 1980 13,778,150 1981 16,286,365 1982 18,748,630 1983 26,085,600 1984 31,662,700 1985 17,481,406 1986 84,594,532 1987 48,200,842 I would expect future applications to come forward at broadly the present level. Water authorities will be eligible to apply before and after privatisation.