HC Deb 22 March 1949 vol 463 cc206-8
52. Mr. Peter Freeman

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give a list of all free and voluntary gifts in cash or kind that had been made to this country since the war by other countries; and what gifts of a similar nature have been made to other countries.

Mr. Jay

With permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the gifts referred to by the hon. Member.

Mr. Freeman

Could my hon. Friend tell the House the total sum involved in each case?

Mr. Jay

The total of the gifts we have made greatly exceeds the gifts which we have received.

Following is the list of gifts

Apart from E.R.P. aid and post-war settlements with U.S.A. and Canada, gifts from other countries to the United Kingdom from the end of the war have been as follow:

£million
Australia 28
New Zealand 10
South Africa (gold) 1
Sundry gifts of food (excluding private gifts) 1
Total 40

2. In the same period, the United Kingdom made gifts in cash and kind to other countries, or wrote off debts, etc., as follow:

£million
UNRRA 155
I.R.O. 11.2
Civil Affairs (not recoverable) 49
Greece Armed Forces initial equipment, maintenance, etc. 31
—Surplus stores and relief supplies 2
Poland—Welfare and Social Services June, 1946—March, 1947 5
—Surplus stores 6
Austria—before 1st April, 1946 10
—post UNRRA 6
—Surplus machine tools 0.125
Hungary—surplus machine tools 0.2
Italy—estimated value of surplus stores in excess of payments under financial agreement 55
Netherlands — military equipment and surpluses, estimated portion in excess of payment under Debt Settlement 16
Roumania—medical supplies and surplus Army foodstuffs 0.02
U.N. Fund for Arab refugees in Palestine 1
Ex-Italian colonies—cost of administration 11.3
Burma—cancellation of debt 15
— B.M.A. expenditure (cancelled claim) 23
Total (say) 400

3. E.R.P.— As at 18th March the U.K. had received from E.C.A. dollar assistance to the value of £232,300,000 of which £64,100,000 had been notified as E.C.A. loan.

4. Intra-European Payments Scheme. —The use of drawing rights by the U.K. and by other participating countries on the U.K. has been as follow:

£million
Up to end1948 Up to18th March1949
Drawn by U.K. 5.6 5.6
Drawn on U.K. by other countries 11.9 34.6
Net use 6.3 29.0