HC Deb 23 January 1991 vol 184 cc194-5W
Mr. Gould

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the level of Government grant to the British Waterways Board for each year since 1979 at current prices; and what is the planned level of grant for future years.

Mr. Heseltine

[holding answer 21 January 1991]: The table shows in current prices the Government's grant 1:0 the BWB in the years 1978–79 to 1990–91, together with the board's external financing limit—EFL—which covers grant and borrowing from the national loans fund, for the same period.

Grant EFL
Cash £ 1990–91 prices £ Cash £ 1990–91 prices £
1978–79 23.0 58.1 26.0 65.7
1979–80 22.8 49.4 25.7 55.7
1980–81 25.6 46.9 30.0 54.9
1981–82 28.4 47.4 31.6 52.7
1982–83 37.6 58.6 39.3 61.2
1983–84 39.8 59.3 40.8 60.8
1984–85 41.8 59.3 42.8 60.7
1985–86 43.5 58.5 44.1 59.3
1986–87 43.9 57.1 44.8 58.2
1987–88 44.0 542 45.0 55.5
1988–89 45.9 52.7 44.9 51.6
1989–90 48.1 52.0 46.5 50.2
1990–91 49.3 49.3 49.4 49.4

As a result of the latest public expenditure round, the BWB's EFL, which is expected to be the same as grant for 1991–92, will be £48.7 million, with guideline figures of £46.9 milllion and £45.3 milion for the following two years.