asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) to what extent the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company currently is in receipt of assistance by way of grant loan and guarantee provided under the Ports (Financial Assistance) Act 1981;(2) to what extent the Port of London Authority currently is in receipt of assistance by way of grant, loan and guarantee provided under the Ports (Financial Assistance) Act 1981.

Loans and guarantees under this Act still outstanding are:

	Loans £ million	Guarantees £ million
MDHC	3·9	9·0
PLA	3·0	21·0

In addition, we are prepared to continue to make grants to both undertakings for the severance of surplus manpower. In the case of registered dock workers, these benefit all scheme port employers by relieving them of a cost which they would otherwise have to meet collectively through the national voluntary severance schemes. Grants for the severance of other employees are to be phased out.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much financial assistance has been given to (a) the Port of London Authority and (b) the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company under the Ports (Financial Assistance) Act 1981 in each of the years 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984; and what is the level of assistance projected for 1985.

The information requested is as follows:

Financial Year	PLA £ million	MDHC £ million
1981–82	21·8	25·8
1982–83	39·8	70·7
1983–84	32·4	39·4
1984–85	23·2	8·5

The assistance to be given in the financial year 1985–86 will depend principally on the number of staff severed by both undertakings.