§ Lord Bellwinasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make a statement on the level of share ownership in Great Britain.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)A joint Treasury/Stock Exchange Survey carried out in January and February of this year shows that:
I am placing copies of the results of the survey in the Libraries of both Houses.
- — 9 million people, or 20 per cent. of the adult population, now own shares, the same as one year ago, and compared to 7 per cent. in 1979;
- — 13 per cent. hold shares in privatised companies, and 5 per cent. own only privatised shares;
- — 3 per cent. hold shares in the company for which they work;
- — Share ownership is widely spread; two-thirds of British shareholders come from outside the ranks of managers and the professionals; similarly, almost two-thirds come from outside the South East;