asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the amounts to date requested by the Electricity Supply Board giving (a) the purposes for which such moneys were required, (b) the amounts paid over on the Minister's certificate; and if he will further state whether a demand was made to him for moneys for payment of overtime to employee and was included in above demands.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Electricity Supply Board Finances.
The Board has requested advances to date totalling £2,767,385 18s. 8d. It would clearly be impossible to specify the innumerable purposes for which such advances were required. £751,000 has been paid to the Board on my certificate. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.
Is the Minister aware that he gave an undertaking to the House that money would only be advanced to the Electricity Supply Board on his certificate and after he had satisfied himself that it would be used for a certain purpose? Does the Minister now state that he does not know for what purpose this extra money was granted?
I do not know what the first part of the supplementary question has to do with the second. I do know what the purposes were, but I said that it would be impossible to state the innumerable purposes.
Would the Minister be able to say, broadly speaking, what they were—give some of the important items?
I could if I were asked.
Would the Minister undertake to circulate them?
No, it would take a long time to segregate the items out of all these amounts.