§ 53. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of money provided in loans and grants by the United Kingdom since the end of the war in 1945 to other members of the Commonwealth, to the Colonial Territories, to non-Commonwealth members of the sterling area, and other countries, respectively.
Mr. AmoryAs the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonis not this something which should be made widely known besides being published in the OFFICIAL REPORT, and can my right hon. Friend say how the amount compares, roughly, with the amount of money made available to this country by the United States? Would not the comparison prove creditable to Britain?
Mr. AmoryI am much in favour of this information being given the widest possible publicity, because the figures reflect great credit on the achievements of this country. Without notice, I should not like to make any comparison with the performance of the United States which has also been extremely generous in this respect.
§ Following is the Answer:
| UNITED KINGDOM LOANS AND GRANTS FROM GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO OTHER COUNTRIES AND UNITED KINGDOM COLONIAL TERRITORIES, 1945-59 | ||
| £m. (to the nearest £10m.) | ||
| — | Grants | Loans |
| Independent Commonwealth countries | 30 | 110 |
| U.K. Colonial Territories | 420 | 110 |
| Non-Common wealth sterling area countries | 170 | 20 |
| Other countries | 640 | 470 |
| Total | 1,260 | 710 |
| Grand Total | 1,970 |
§ NOTES:
§ (1) The figures above are of actual (or in the case of the current financial year estimated) disbursements as distinct from authorisations or sanctions.
§ (2) The figures reflect in part the financial value of loans or grants made in kind.
§ (3) The figures of loans and grants to "other countries" include large contributions towards the cost of post-war reconstruction in Europe in the immediate post-war years and the table does not therefore reflect the current pattern of loans and grants.