§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state in current prices the total proceeds to the Exchequer from privatisation since 1979; and if he will estimate the likely proceeds from the privatisation of the water and electricity industries.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe net proceeds for privatisation since May 1979 amount to some £24½ billion. This is £25.7 billion in 1987–88 prices (using the GDP deflator, which is not yet available for 1988–89 prices).
The proceeds and costs relating to the privatisation of the water and electricity industries will be announced in due course in the usual way.