§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the answer of 11 December,Official Report, column 463, on (a) the golden shares and (b) other shares currently owned by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. Lilley[holding answer 9 July 1990]: The Government hold special shares in the following companies: Britoil, Cable and Wireless; Jaguar; Sealink; British Telecom; British Aerospace; VSEL Consortium; British Gas; Rolls-Royce; BAA; British Steel; Anglian Water; Northumbrian Water; North West Water; Severn Trent; South West Water; Thames Water; Welsh Water; Wessex Water; and Yorkshire Water.
Details of the Government's other shareholdings are given in the "Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts 1988–89: Supplementary Statements" (HC45). The 1989–90 supplementary statements will be laid before the House before the end of the year. In the case 113W of the 10 water plcs, the Water (Target Investment Limit) Order 1990, laid before the House on 21 May, gave the maximum limits, by percentage, of the Government's residual shareholding. The current market value of the shareholdings can be established from the International Stock Exchange's official list.