To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what public subsidies have been made available to electricity suppliers in each year since 1983. [128301]

There have been no public subsidies to electricity suppliers since privatisation. I am not aware of any subsidies before privatisation, but confirmation of this could be made only at disproportionate cost.The Government have, of course, made a credit facility available to British Energy while the company agrees and implements its restructuring plan.