§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the actual and contingent liabilities of the Consolidated Fund on(a) 31 March and (b) 30 April, excluding cases (i) involving £100,000 or less and (ii) arising in the normal course of a department's business. [45180]
§ Mr. Darling[holding answer 11 June 1998]: Amounts outstanding for individual actual and contingent liabilities as at 31 March 1997 (the latest figures available) were published in Table B15 of the Supplementary Statements to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts for 1996–97 (House of Commons Paper No. 378 of 1996–97). This statement excludes (a) cases involving £100,000 or less; (b) cases arising in the normal course of departments' business; and (c) a small number of other cases, of which details have been supplied to the National Audit Office, where there are considerations of national security, or commercial confidentiality, or where public knowledge of a guarantee could prompt claims from third parties.
The figures for actual and contingent liabilities are collected only for one date each year–31 March, which is the end of the financial year. As usual, details of the amounts outstanding as at 31 March 1998 will be published in the Supplementary Statements to the Consolidated Fund and the National Loans Fund Accounts for 1997–98 which will be laid before the House in mid to late December 1998.
§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list contingent liabilities accepted by the Government since 1 May 1997. [45179]
§ Mr. Darling[holding answer 11 June 1998): Details of the amounts outstanding as at 31 March 1998 will be published in the usual way in the Supplementary 135W Statements to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts for 1997–98 which will be laid before the House in mid to late December 1998.