HC Deb 09 July 1985 vol 82 c883
2. Sir Russell Johnston

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any estimate of the number of jobs created as a result of grants from the European Community.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Peter Bottomley)

Well over a million people a year are taking part in training or job creation schemes supported by the European social fund. More than 150,000 jobs were created or preserved with help from the European regional development fund between 1975 and 1983. Others were created through infrastructure projects.

Sir Russell Johnston

Given that the Government say that they want to encourage individual effort and that 70 per cent. of social fund money goes to the MSC, will the Minister take steps to ensure that the voluntary bodies promoting employment and training get a better share of the money?

Mr. Bottomley

I will do the best I can.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

As every pound that we receive from the Common Market costs the British taxpayer £1.42, could we not create 42 per cent. more jobs if we did not go through the absurd nonsense of wholesaling cash through Brussels and getting less back?

Mr. Bottomley

Given my limited breadth of vision, I can only tell my hon. Friend that with this assistance we are able to do more than we would without it.

Mrs. Clwyd

Is it not a fact that £20 million has been lost to Britain from the EEC budget because money that was allocated for job creation out of the regional and social funds, which could have been spent at any time up to the end of 1984, was not spent? Has that been due to bureaucratic bungling in Brussels, in Whitehall, or in both?

Mr. Bottomley

It would be helpful if the hon. Lady would write to me with details of the £20 million to which she is referring — [Interruption.] There are a number of reasons why certain things happen, as she will know from her experience. For example, the Commission takes decisions with which we sometimes do not agree. In some cases it is a question of people with allocations not fully taking them up. There may be other points concerned with the case that the hon. Lady has in mind. That is why I said that it would be helpful if she would send me details. I can then give her a full response.

Mr. Thurnham

Does my hon. Friend agree that the taxes levied by the EEC destroy jobs?

Mr. Bottomley

Most public revenues have that effect.