HC Deb 13 June 1974 vol 874 cc1805-6
7. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the operation of the arrangements for balancing Exchequer receipts between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Mr. Joel Barnett

Yes, Sir. Since 1st January 1974 these arrangements have been governed by Section 15 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. That Act provides for payment from the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland of a sum equal to the Northern Ireland share of United Kingdom taxes. The amount of the share and the method of calculating it are determined by the Treasury.

Mr. Dalyell

As many Ulstermen are not incurious about the topical subject of the precise extent to which they are beholden to us on this side of the water, will the Treasury mount an exercise to establish the truth? Secondly, will the Treasury reflect on a system of financial decision making that has resulted in under-carred motorways in Ulster and Protestant and Catholic slums in Belfast?

Mr. Barnett

The truth of the essential facts of the matter is already known and the total payments have been announced recently by the Secretary of State, but I shall be happy to circulate a breakdown of the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT. In reply to the second part of the supplementary question, this is a matter of priorities inside Northern Ireland within the concept of parity.

Following are the figures:

UNITED KINGDOM FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO NORTHERN IRELAND
1973–74 1974–75
Actual Estimate
£ million £ million
Special payments for:
Health Services(£15million) 53 Nil
Social Services (£30 million)
Regional Employment
Premiums (£8 million)
Great Britain National Insurance Fund contribution to Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund 30 30
Grant-in-Aid 175 200
Direct expenditure by*:
NIO and PSA (includes cost of Law, Order and Protective Services from 1st January 1974) 20 81
MAFF Agricultural support and, in 1974-75,Food Subsidies) 30 37
MAFF Agricultural Remoteness Grant 2 2
— —
310 350
Loans from National Loans Fund 66 80
— —
TOTAL 376 430
— —
* Excluding Defence.