HC Deb 28 January 1948 vol 446 cc989-91
26. Mr. T. Reid

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what European countries have received aid from the U.S.A. and Britain as a free gift since the end of the war; and what was the approximate value of the aid given to each.

Mr. McNeil

As the answer is long I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The following European countries have received aid under U.N.R.R.A. and other relief projects.

The total shipments of supplies sent by U.N.R.R.A. to these countries up to 31st October, 1947, have been
Value in millions of pounds
Albania … … 6.5
Austria … … 33.8
Czechoslovakia … … 65.4
Finland … … .6
Greece … … 86.9
Dodecanese … … 1.0
Hungary … … 1.1
Italy … … 106.4
Poland … … 118.3
San Marino … … .007
Byelo-Russia … … 15.2
Ukraine … … 47.1
Yugoslavia … … 102.4
£584.707

Since The United Kingdom contribution has consisted of money and supplies, and has been placed in the general pool of U.N.R.R.A. resources, it is not possible to state exactly how the United Kingdom contribution has been apportioned among the individual recipient countries in Europe and elsewhere. However, of the overall total of U.N.R.R.A.'s resources His Majesty's Government contributed £155 million, or approximately 15.5 per cent. In addition, His Majesty's Government have given assistance in money and supplies to European countries to the value of £110 million made up as follows:

Value in millions of pounds
Austria (supplies to British Zone before U.N.R.R.A. undertook supply responsibility in April, 1946) 10.
(estimated non-recoverable portion of £8½ million post-U.N.R.R.A. assistance) 6.
(surplus machine tools) 0.1
Greece (maintenance and initial equipment of armed forces) 29.
(surpluses) 2.5
Hungary (surplus machine tools) 0.2
Italy (estimated value of surpluses after allowing for payments from Italy in respect of United Kingdom claims under the Financial Agreements of 17th April, 1947) 55.
Poland (estimated value of trade for which United Kingdom waived payment as a contribution to Polish recovery under the Anglo-Polish Trade Agreement of June, 1947, together with a gift of free wool) 7.7
Roumania (medical supplies and surplus Army food stuffs) 0.02

This total does not include supplies to the value of £38 million distributed free under combined military arrangements. The bulk of these supplies were distributed before the end of the war. I have not complete figures for the considerable contributions of all the private relief organisations, but the following figures have been made available by the Council of British Societies for Relief Abroad:

Total supplies to European countries: £890,000. Of this total the greater part was sent to the following countries:

£
Austria 170,000
Germany 300,000
Poland 150,000

Considerable amounts of supplies also went to Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Yugoslavia: and smaller amounts to Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Norway and Roumania.

Comparable figures are not available for the United States of America and any attempt to give incomplete figures would not give an adequate picture of the great scope of the free aid which the U.S.A. has rendered to Europe under various forms. It should be noted however that Congress approved the following appropriations:— (a) $2,700 million for U.N.R.R.A. or 67.5 per cent. of the total of U.N.R.R.A. resources; (b) $332 million for Austria, Greece, Italy and Trieste under the United States Foreign Relief programme of 30th July, 1947: (c) $522 million for Austria, France and Italy under the Interim Aid Act of December, 1947. Large contributions have also been made by the U.S.A. under combined military arrangements; through the disposal of surpluses; and in other ways.