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Written Answers to Questions

Friday 8th May 1992

TRANSPORT

British Rail (Finance)

Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected outturn is for British Rail's external finances for 1991-92 ; what will be the public service obligation cash ceiling for 1992-93 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. MacGregor : The information is as follows :

(a) British Rail's external financing requirement for 1991-92 was £1,446 million. This represented an undershoot of £76 million on the revised limit of £1,522 million. BR has exceptionally been given permission to carry forward £55 million of this undershoot, which results from delays in the delivery of rolling stock, to 1992-93. The external finance limit for 1992-93 has therefore been increased by £55 million to £2,096 million. BR will publish full details of the 1991-92 financial year in its annual report and accounts in early summer.

(b) The PSO cash ceiling for 1992-93 has been set at £1,040 million.

ENVIRONMENT

Flats over Shops Initiative

Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who will receive grant aid under the flats over shops initiative for 1992- 93 ; and at what levels.

Sir George Young : Fifty-eight authorities in England will receive flats over shops grant aid totalling £5,027,500 for 1992-93. These are :



Flats over shops proposed allocations 1992-93                                      

Region and Local Authority   |Allocation                                           

                             |£                                                    

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eastern                                                                            

Aylesbury Vale DC            |44,000                                               

Ipswich BC                   |88,400                                               

Luton BC                     |60,000                                               

North Bedfordshire BC        |29,700                                               

South Norfolk DC             |7,500                                                

St. Albans DC                |16,500                                               

Waveney DC                   |80,000                                               

Wycombe DC                   |156,100                                              

                             |-------                                              

                             |482,200                                              

East Midlands                                                                      

Boston BC                    |22,500                                               

Chesterfield BC              |57,500                                               

Gedling BC                   |30,000                                               

Leicester CC                 |198,000                                              

South Kesteven DC            |191,100                                              

                             |-------                                              

                             |499,900                                              

                                                                                   

London                                                                             

London Borough Bexley        |46,400                                               

London Borough Camden        |231,500                                              

London Borough Harrow        |104,000                                              

London Borough Hillingdon    |48,700                                               

London Borough Lambeth       |236,500                                              

London Borough Southwark     |155,000                                              

Westminster CC               |220,000                                              

                             |-------                                              

                             |1,042,100                                            

                                                                                   

Northern                                                                           

Alnwick DC                   |80,000                                               

Derwentside DC               |130,000                                              

Newcastle Upon Tyne CC       |67,000                                               

Tynedale BC                  |138,000                                              

Wear Valley DC               |85,000                                               

                             |-------                                              

                             |500,000                                              

                                                                                   

North West                                                                         

Barrow in Furness BC         |27,300                                               

Carlisle CC                  |35,100                                               

Crewe and Nantwich BC        |133,900                                              

Chester CC                   |3,800                                                

Ellesmere Port and Neston BC |56,600                                               

Sefton MBC                   |97,300                                               

South Lakeland DC            |63,700                                               

Trafford BC                  |93,000                                               

                             |-------                                              

                             |510,700                                              

                                                                                   

South East                                                                         

Elmbridge BC                 |60,000                                               

Guildford BC                 |40,000                                               

Hart DC                      |45,000                                               

Hastings BC                  |100,000                                              

Horsham DC                   |20,000                                               

Hove BC                      |55,000                                               

Newbury DC                   |144,000                                              

Worthing BC                  |44,900                                               

                             |-------                                              

                             |488,900                                              

                                                                                   

South West                                                                         

North Dorset DC              |76,000                                               

Penwith DC                   |65,000                                               

Restormel BC                 |11,200                                               

Salisbury DC                 |26,200                                               

Stroud DC                    |27,300                                               

Torbay BC                    |200,000                                              

West Dorset DC               |82,000                                               

                             |-------                                              

                             |487,700                                              

                                                                                   

Yorkshire and Humberside                                                           

Bradford MBC                 |100,000                                              

Hull CC                      |116,000                                              

Leeds CC                     |100,000                                              

Sheffield CC                 |200,000                                              

                             |-------                                              

                             |516,000                                              

                                                                                   

West Midlands                                                                      

Sandwell MBC                 |200,000                                              

Solihull MBC                 |52,500                                               

Staffordshire Moorlands DC   |53,500                                               

Worcester CC                 |72,000                                               

Wrekin DC                    |122,000                                              

                             |-------                                              

                             |500,000                                              


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HEALTH

1991 Census

Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the first computer-processed results from the 1991 census will be published.

Mr. Sackville : In his reply to my hon. Friend the then Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo) on 5 March 1992 at columns 272-73, my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health announced a provisional revised timetable for the county and regional monitors, and for part 1 of the county and regional reports and associated statistical products.

Publication of these results is now under way. The first county monitor, that for the Isle of Wight, is published today by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in a 1991 census county monitor. Copies of all the census monitors and reports will be placed in the Library as they are published.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Mr. Butterfill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department will be seeking an advance from the Contingencies Fund, against a summer supplementary estimate.

Mr. Needham : Parliamentary approval is being sought for a supplementary estimate class IV, vote 5 ECGD :


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export finance assistance, for additional provision of £1.2 million to meet a final claim under the cost escalation facility. This facility was closed to new business in 1984.

Pending approval by Parliament of the supplementary estimate, the expenditure concerned will be financed by a repayable advance from the Contingencies Fund.

British Technology Group

Mr. Butterfill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library details about the sale of the British Technology Group.

Mr. Sainsbury : The sale of the British Technology Group to a consortium led by CIN Venture Managers and BTG's management and employees was completed on 31 March 1992.

The sale proceeds totalled £27.75 million, with the possibility of further payments to Her Majesty's Government arising from the level of cash and net current assets at the time of completion, and from payments under a mechanism for the clawback of 60 per cent. of revenues in excess of those forecast on BTG's business plan over the next five years.

A document has been placed in the Library containing copies of : the sale and purchase agreement ; of the articles of association of British Technology Group Ltd. and of its holding company, British Technology Group International plc, in each of which the Secretary of State holds a special share ; and a schedule listing the institutional investors in BTG.


 

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