§ Lord LLOYD of KILGERRANasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assistance the United Kingdom has received from or through the Commission and/or Council of the European Communities since Accession to the EEC, to combat unemployment in the United Kingdom.
§ Lord JACQUESThe principal Community instruments through which the United Kingdom receives assistance to combat unemployment are the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the re-adaptation 1617WA grants and loans available from the European Coal and Steel Community. The European Regional Development Fund makes contributions towards the cost of public expenditure on industrial projects which create and/or maintain employment, and on infrastructure projects directly linked to industrial development. To date, the Commission has agreed to contribute £66.2 million to the United Kingdom from this Fund. The European Social Fund was established under the EEC Treaty with the aim of encouraging and assisting the re-training and resettlement of workers. The following sums have been allocated to the United Kingdom to date from the Social Fund in the years since Accession:
- 1973—£23.9 million
- 1974—£25.9 million
- 1975—£45.9 million
- 1976—(to date) £17.8 million
Under the European Coal and Steel Community regulations, re-adaptation grants can be made and loans granted to areas affected by coal and steel industry closures. The following grants have been allocated to the United Kingdom steel industry:
Loans have been approved for the United Kingdom steel industry as follows:
- 1973—£0.254 million
- 1974—£1.174 million
- 1975—£1.618 million
- 1976—(to date) £0.549 million
The United Kingdom coal industry has received re-adaptation grants for 1975/76 totalling £4.25 million.
- 1974—£15 million
- 1975—£31.415 million
- 1976—(to date) £9.1 million