asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress has been made to date in the recovery of interest payments due to Her Majesty's Government from the Meriden Co-operative since 30 June; and if he will make a statement.

The answers to my hon. Friend's two questions are "None" and "No".

TABLE 1
	9 months to 31 March 1978 £28·9 million	1978–79£12£8 million	9 months to 31 December 1979 £23·5 million
Average number employed by BS	85,700	83,700	79,000
Average sum per employee	£338	£153	£297

However, by far the majority of these payments relate to British Shipbuilders' merchant shipbuilding activities. The corresponding table for merchant shipbuilding only is as follows:

TABLE 2
Payments (estimated)	9 months to 31 March 1978 £28·1 million	1978–79 £12·5 million	9 months to 31 December 1979 £23·3 million
Average number of employees (estimated) in merchant ship- building	37,000	32,000	27,000
Average sum per employee	£759	£391	£863

In addition to the payments in table 1, British Shipbuilders has also received public dividend capital totalling £166 million in support of all its activities.