§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the amount of debt outstanding on the balance sheets of each of the companies privatised since 1979 and the amount of this debt repaid prior to privatisation; and if he will specify out of which departmental expenditure programme the money for repayment was drawn.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 13 May 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the annual reports and accounts of the companies in question for details of their balance sheets, and—to the extent that departmental expenditure was involved—to the relevant departmental Votes.