§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of(a) fixed assets, property and land and (b) moveable assets owned by the Government and its agencies (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) in Scotland. [97296]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Office for National Statistics recently estimated the market value of United Kingdom public sector, tangible, non-financial assets at 31 December 1998 to be £483.3 billion. Of this, £450.3 billion represents land and property and £33 billion represents movable assets (including stocks). These estimates are published in the November edition of Economic Trends (pages 53-68). The figures are provisional and not yet formally part of the National Accounts but updated numbers are expected to be published in the 2000 edition of the National Accounts Blue Book. Separate figures for Scotland are not available.
In addition, the National Asset Register, published in November 1997, lists all central government owned assets by Department, including the then Scottish Office, without valuations. Departments are preparing balance sheets as part of the move to Resource Accounting and Budgeting.