HC Deb 12 July 1994 vol 246 c564W
Mr. Hendry

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the net contributions to public finances from the formerly publicly owned companies in the five years prior to their privatisation.

Mr. Dorrell

The net contributions to public finances, represented by the negative external financing requirements—EFRS—for ex-nationalised industries in the years leading to their privatisations, is shown in the table below. The positive EFRs represent a cost to the public finances. Data in previous years are not available on a consistent basis.

Mr. Dorrell

Provisional estimates for 1994–95 are given below:

Total income tax liability
£ billion
Taxpayers aged 65 years or over 5.0
Taxpayers aged 70 years or over 3.0
Taxpayers aged 75 years or over 1.6
All taxpayers 69.7