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Treasury

Answer

Mr. Spearing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sums were (a) paid to and (b) received from public funds in (i) telephone and electronic communications, (ii) gas, (iii) electricity, (iv) public water services and (v) Royal Mail, for the year of and five years preceding the year of their disposal or 1995 as appropriate; and if he will make a statement. [40412] Mr. Jack: [holding answer 14 October 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the following documents, which set out the information available for each industry. Figures for external financing requirements can be found in "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1996-97" and its predecessor publications; including the "Statistical Supplement to the FSBR" and "Government Expenditure Plans". The EFR measures the difference between what an industry spends and the income from its trading and related activities; the most significant components of external finance are normally government grants, subsidies and loans, and movements in deposits--which are normally liabilities of the public sector. Figures for interest payments from the industries to the national loans fund are quoted in the "Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts". Tax and dividend figures for all nationalised industries are available in "Inland Revenue Statistics" and the Office for National Statistics' Blue Book respectively; however, this information is not broken down on an industry-by-industry basis.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

40412; 282 c914W;282 c912W

Session

1995-96

Subjects

Expenditure Income Privatisation Public finance Nationalised industries

Contains statistics

Yes