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Column 111

Lofthouse, Geoffrey

McAllion, John

McAvoy, Thomas

Macdonald, Calum A.

McFall, John

McGrady, Eddie

McKay, Allen (Barnsley West)

McLeish, Henry

McNamara, Kevin

McWilliam, John

Madden, Max

Mahon, Mrs Alice

Marek, Dr John

Marshall, David (Shettleston)

Marshall, Jim (Leicester S)

Martin, Michael J. (Springburn)

Maxton, John

Meacher, Michael

Meale, Alan

Michael, Alun

Michie, Bill (Sheffield Heeley)

Mitchell, Austin (G't Grimsby)

Moonie, Dr Lewis

Morgan, Rhodri

Morley, Elliot

Morris, Rt Hon A. (W'shawe)

Morris, Rt Hon J. (Aberavon)

Mowlam, Marjorie

Mullin, Chris

Murphy, Paul

Nellist, Dave

Oakes, Rt Hon Gordon

O'Brien, William

O'Neill, Martin

Orme, Rt Hon Stanley

Paisley, Rev Ian

Patchett, Terry

Pendry, Tom

Pike, Peter L.

Powell, Ray (Ogmore)

Prescott, John

Quin, Ms Joyce

Radice, Giles

Randall, Stuart

Rees, Rt Hon Merlyn

Reid, Dr John

Richardson, Jo

Roberts, Allan (Bootle)

Robertson, George

Robinson, Peter (Belfast E)

Rooker, Jeff

Rowlands, Ted

Sedgemore, Brian

Sheerman, Barry

Sheldon, Rt Hon Robert

Shore, Rt Hon Peter

Short, Clare

Skinner, Dennis

Smith, Andrew (Oxford E)

Smith, Rt Hon J. (Monk'ds E)

Smith, J. P. (Vale of Glam)

Snape, Peter

Soley, Clive

Spearing, Nigel

Steinberg, Gerry

Stott, Roger

Strang, Gavin

Straw, Jack

Taylor, Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)

Turner, Dennis

Vaz, Keith

Wall, Pat

Wardell, Gareth (Gower)

Watson, Mike (Glasgow, C)

Welsh, Michael (Doncaster N)

Williams, Rt Hon Alan

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Column 112

Williams, Alan W. (Carm'then)

Winnick, David

Worthington, Tony

Wray, Jimmy

Tellers for the Noes :

Mr. Robert N. Wareing and

Mr. Ken Eastham.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Bill read a Second time, and committed to a Standing Committee pursuant to Standing Order No. 61 (Committal of Bills).

Coal Industry Bill [Money]

Queen's recommendation having been signified--

Resolved,

That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Coal Industry Bill, it is expedient to authorise--

(1) the payment out of money provided by Parliament of any sums required to enable the Secretary of State to make grants to the British Coal Corporation of amounts not exceeding in aggregate-- (

(a) the amount identified in the consolidated accounts for the financial year of the Corporation ending in March 1990 directed to be prepared under section 8(1) of the Coal Industry Act 1971 as the accumulated group deficit at the end of that financial year regarding any such grants, or

(b) in the case of grants made in advance of the preparation of those accounts, the amount that the Secretary of State is satisfied will be so identified in those accounts ; and

(2) any increase in the sums so payable resulting from-- (

(a) increasing to £1,250 million, with power to increase by order to £1,500 million, the limit imposed on the aggregate amount of grants made under section 3 of the Coal Industry Act 1987, and (

(b) enabling such grants to be made in respect of costs falling to be charged to accounts in respect of financial years ending March 1992 but not later than March 1993.-- [Mr. Greg Knight.]

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Column 113

Appropriation (Northern Ireland)

10.14 pm

The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Cope) : I beg to move,

That the draft Appropriation (No. 4) (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, which was laid before this House on 14th November, in the last Session of Parliament, be approved.

On this occasion, the House is being asked to approve a Supplementary Estimate to cover additional funds for two particular votes--the Department of Economic Development vote 2 and the Department of Health and Social Services vote 4. The Department of Economic Development's vote 2 includes expenditure on local enterprise and assistance to the aircraft and shipbuilding industries, while the Department of Health and Social Services vote covers expenditure on those social security benefits which are not dependent on national insurance contributions--contributory benefits are not covered by this order. The draft order is seeking in total an additional £95.7 million over those two votes. The Estimates booklet giving full details of the additional expenditure is, as usual, available from the Vote Office.

The Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Economic Development, on which an increase of £61.3 million to the 1989-90 provision is sought, taking the total expenditure on the vote in question to some £434 million, covers expenditure on local enterprise initiatives, assistance to the aircraft and shipbuilding industries, grants to small and medium-sized firms, capital grants, industrially related research and development and the development of tourism. However, only two of those areas--local enterprise and assistance to the aircraft and shipbuilding industries-- require extra funds. The most significant increase is the £58 million required to meet further costs associated with Short Brothers plc up to 3 October 1989. My hon. Friend the Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers), who was responsible for this matter at the time, introduced the draft Appropriation (No 3) (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 on 20 July 1989. He referred then to the requirement for the Government to fund the losses incurred by Shorts from 1 April 1989 until the completion of the sale to Bombardier on 3 October. The Department of Economic Development has also retained the financial liabilities and obligations associated with aircraft sold in the past by Shorts, and funding is also required to cover those costs within this financial year. Those costs could not be determined in time for the July draft order, and consequently provision is being taken now, following the completion of the sale.

Hon. Members will also be aware that the privatisation of the shipbuilding business of Harland and Wolff was completed in September. Under the arrangements for the sale, the new company, Harland and Wolff Holdings plc, will receive from Government repayable loan stock, rationalisation grants and intervention aid on new merchant orders. The old company, Harland and Wolff plc, will no longer trade but will continue to be responsible for certain pre-sale commitments, including redundancies and ship-financing arrangements. There is, in consequence, a reduction of £45.9 million in the amount of funding required for Harland and Wolff plc, the old company, but extra funding of £79.9 million is needed for the new company, Harland and Wolff Holdings plc. In addition, an increase of £741,000 is needed to cover

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