To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what powers borrowing is currently undertaken by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the South of Scotland Electricity Board; what is their current outstanding debt; what claims on capital he expects over the next three years; and whether he plans to increase the boards' borrowing powers.

The powers under which the Scottish electricity boards may borrow are set out in section 27 of the Electricity (Scotland) Act 1979. Outstanding debt as at 3 June 1988 was £2,632 million. The boards' proposed expenditure on fixed assets over the next three years is as follows:

	£ million
1988–89	237
1989–90	210
1990–91	190

The Electricity (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill, increasing the limit on the amount the boards may borrow from £2,700 million to £3,000 million, is currently before the House.