Post Office (Hansard, 15 November 1991)

§ Mr. Henderson
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to reduce the £1 threshold of the letter monopoly.

§ Mr. Lilley
As stated in the citizens charter, we propose to reduce the Post Office's letter monopoly from its present level of £1 to a level much closer to that of the first-class letter stamp. This will require legislation.

§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the negative external finance limit targets achieved by the Post Office for each year since 1979, together with the cumulative amount expressed(a) as a total and(b) at April 1991 prices.

§ Mr. Lilley
Negative external finance limit achievements by the Post Office since 1979 appear in the table(a) at outturn and(b) at April 1991 values. With effect from 1989–90, pay bill creditors have been excluded from working capital for the purposes of the external finance limit calculation. The effect of this adjustment is expected to be neutral in the long term. Figures adjusted to take account of this change are also given from 1985–86, the earliest date for which this information is available.

(i) Outturn (ii) Adjusted

(a) (b) (a) (b)

£ million £ million £ million £ million

1978–79 17 43 — —

1979–80 34 74 — —

1980–81 8 15 — —

1981–82 13 22 — —

1982–83 60 94 — —

1983–84 62 93 — —

1984–85 100 143 — —

1985–86 75 101 82 110

1986–87 93 121 136 177

1987–88 80 100 79 99

1988–89 102 121 60 71

1989–90 102 112 0 0

1990–91 0 0 0 0

746 1,039 357 457

	(i) Outturn	(ii) Adjusted
	(a)	(b)	(a)	(b)
	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million
1978–79	17	43	—	—
1979–80	34	74	—	—
1980–81	8	15	—	—
1981–82	13	22	—	—
1982–83	60	94	—	—
1983–84	62	93	—	—
1984–85	100	143	—	—
1985–86	75	101	82	110
1986–87	93	121	136	177
1987–88	80	100	79	99
1988–89	102	121	60	71
1989–90	102	112	0	0
1990–91	0	0	0	0
	746	1,039	357	457