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Nationalised Industries
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the annual profits and losses of the nationalised industries in current prices for each year between 1974 and 1997. [11350]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 29 July 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. John Bercow, dated 31 July 1997:
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 443
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on the annual profits and losses of the nationalised industries in the current prices for each year between 1974 and 1997.
I regret to say that estimates of profits/losses of the nationalised industries are not produced.
For the National Accounts, the nationalised industries are classified within the Public Corporations sector. As of April 1997, the nationalised industries were as follows:
British Coal Board
Magnox Electric
British Railways Board
London Region Transport
Highlands Islands Airports
British Nuclear Fuels
Post Office
Civil Aviation Authority
British Waterways Board
Caledonian MacBrayne
The Public Corporations sector also contains many other bodies, e.g. NHS trusts, the BBC, Channel 4, and urban development corporations. The composition of the sector has changed significantly, over the period from 1974, particularly with privatisations.
The National Accounts definition of the United Kingdom profits, losses of Public Corporations is entitled to the gross trading surplus (this is gross of depreciation). It would be possible to construct gross trading surplus aggregates for the nationalised industries from 1991 to 1996 only, but this would be at disproportionate cost. Data before 1991 are unavailable.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not publish data for the gross trading surplus of the Public Corporations sector as a whole. This series goes back to 1946 but is affected by breaks due to sectoral reclassifications, including privatisation, nationalisation and the establishment of NHS trusts. I attach a table of the data from 1974 to 1996. This data, from 1986 onwards, will appear in the 1997 edition of United Kingdom National Accounts which is being published on 8 August. Gross trading surplus data for 1997 are not yet available.
| Year | Current prices (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 2,561 |
| 1975 | 3,094 |
| 1976 | 4,505 |
| 1977 | 5,095 |
| 1978 | 5,466 |
| 1979 | 5,710 |
| 1980 | 6,309 |
| 1981 | 7,974 |
| 1982 | 9,502 |
| 1983 | 10,004 |
| 1984 | 8,511 |
| 1985 | 7,262 |
| 1986 | 8,213 |
| 1987 | 6,993 |
| 1988 | 7,554 |
| 1989 | 5,951 |
| 1990 | 3,426 |
| 1991 | 1,410 |
| 1992 | 1,699 |
| 1993 | 2,438 |
| 1994 | 2,698 |
| 1995 | 4,230 |
| 1996 | 3,959 |
BSE
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the figures contained in table 5A.4 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1997-98", showing projected United Kingdom expenditure on BSE for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [11186]
Mr. Darling [holding answer 29 July 1997]: The provision made for expenditure on BSE remains as in that table, supplemented by a further £0.2 billion spread over 1996-97 and 1997-98 in respect of the selective cull of animals most at risk of developing BSE announced on 16 December 1996, Official Report, column 632. The actual outturns will depend on a variety of factors, including some policy decisions that have not yet been taken.
EU Budget
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the net benefit to the United Kingdom at today's prices in each year as a result of the budget rebate of 1984. [11234]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 29 July 1997]: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the abatement agreed at Fontainebleau. The table sets out the information requested.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 444
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the net level of United Kingdom contributions to the European Community for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement; [11306]
- (2) if he will update the figure for the estimated net United Kingdom contribution to the European Community budget for 1998-99, in table 5A.4, page 123, of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1997-98", incorporating the impact of developments at the European Union budget negotiations on 24 July; and if he will make a statement. [11612]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 29 July 1997]: The Government's expenditure plans take account of the plans of the previous Government for the forecast of the trend in the United Kingdom's net contributions to the European Community budget; as published in the previous Chancellor's departmental report on his smaller departments, Cm 3617. The forecasts are as follows:
- 1997-98: £2,750 million
- 1998-99: £3,000 million
- 1990-2000: £3,400 million
The Treasury will revise the forecasts in due course. As the Community budget for 1998 has not yet been finalised, there is no reason at this stage to update these forecasts.
Generalised System of Preferences
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the European Commission's report on the abuse of the generalised system of preferences. [10141]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 22 July 1997]: The European Commission has indicated that its study on the post-clearance recovery of customs debts associated with preferential customs schemes--including the generalised system of preferences--will be published in the early autumn.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of United Kingdom businesses affected by claims to retrospective duties arising from irregularities found in origin certificates issued by developing countries under the generalised system of preferences. [10143]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 22 July 1997]: In the 12 months ending 30 June 1997, some 70 UK businesses were notified of a duty liability as a result of invalid claims to preferential rates of duty under the generalised system of preferences.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of outstanding
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 445
duty arising from the irregularities found in origin certificates issued by developing countries under the generalised system of preferences. [10142]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 22 July 1997]: Approximately £1,600,000 duty is outstanding in respect of irregularities found in the past five years in origin certificates issued under the generalised system of preferences.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that an agreement made between Bangladesh and the EC concerning invalid origin certificates under the generalised system of preferences does not disadvantage United Kingdom businesses. [10144]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 22 July 1997]: Importers in a number of member states have received invalid origin certificates from Bangladesh. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise will seek to ensure that action taken in respect of these documents is consistent throughout the Community and it will continue to press for a fair and equitable solution to the problem.
Mr. Alan Williams:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers the Treasury will have to ring-fence itemised expenditure under the process described in paragraph 1.22 of the White Paper on a Welsh Assembly; and if these powers will extend to the determination of individual subheads within the estimates.[10707]
Mr. Darling
[holding answer 28 July 1997]: The allocation of the budget assigned to Wales will be at the discretion of the Welsh Assembly, as it is at present a matter for the Secretary of State for Wales.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's policy towards an independent European central bank. [11822]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
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