Written question asked by Jim Cousins (Labour) on Thursday, 28 February 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 March 2002. It was answered by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Wednesday, 6 March 2002 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the external financing limit target of the Post Office was in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01; whether it was met; and what proportion of post tax profit the external financing limit represented in each year. - Inc ref to White Paper 'Post Office Reform: A World Class Service for the 21st Century'.

Answer: Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the external financing limit target of the Post Office was in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01; whether it was met; and what proportion of post tax profit the external financing limit represented in each year. [40555] Mr. Alexander: As set out in the White Paper: "Post Office Reform: A World Class Service for the 21{st} Century", the Government replaced the setting of external financing limits with a new regime based on commercial dividends. No external financing limit was therefore set in respect of the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

Secondary information