§ Mr. MaxtonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the same figures as those provided in his answer of 29 October,Official Report, columns 363–64 (a) exclusive of privatised investment and (b) deflated by the general deflator.
§ Mr. Norman LamontFigures, excluding privatised investment, are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Regional deflators are not calculated and the CSO believes that the use of a
Shareholdings1 in privatised and former government-controlled companies Size of share register Company Date of Privatisation Initial Highest since privatisation Current Proportion of shares initially retained by Proportion and dates of subsequent HMG disposals Number Date Number Date HMG British Aerospace February 1981 157,829 120,200 December 1986 97,600 December 1989 48.43% 48.43%/10 May 1985 Cable and Wireless October 1981 27,320 210,994 March 1986 166,179 31 March 1990 50.64% 27.54%/November 1983: 23.1%/December 1985 Amersham International February 1982 10,051 8,601 June 1982 5,787 June 1990 Nil Britoil November 1982 37,257 241,000 owned by BP 49% 49%/8 August 1985 Associated British Ports February 1983 37,205 12,321 Jule 1989 12,000 31 December 1989 48.5% 48.5%/17 April 1984 Enterprise Oil June 1984 13,695 14,166 January 1985 10,207 31 December 1989 Nil Jaguar July 1984 125,000 64,126 November 1984 owned by Ford Nil British Telecom November 1984 2,051,373 1,649,722 November 1985 1,200,655 31 March 1990 49.8% 0.8%/December 1987 British Gas December 1986 4,407,079 3,100,000 July 1987 2,480,564 30 April 1990 3.3% 1.6%/January 1990: 1.6%/July 1990 British Airways February 1987 1,200,000 450,000 July 1987 314,039 15 May 1990 2.5% 1%/June 1987: 1%/March 1990 Rolls Royce May 1987 2,000,000 925,000 December 1987 738,659 31 December 1989 0.4% 0.4% sold during 1987 BAA July 1987 2,187,500 1,350,000 November 1987 798,643 June 1990 4.36% 1.42%/August 1990 British Steel December 1988 650,000 400,000 January 1989 318,025 23 August 1990 0.05% 0.04% disposed of during 1989. On 12 November 1990 HMG held about 0.002% Water and Sewerage Companies December 1989 2,650,0002 N/A l,318,3522 June 1990 1.62% 1 These figures are not an exact guide to the number of shareholders in each company because some holdings are held jointly in more than one name. They also include holdings in employee share schemes. 2 The offer allowed for holdings by individuals in any or all of the 10 companies and therefore holders may appear on more than one register.