Co-operatives

HC Deb 11 May 1977 vol 931 cc553-5W

Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the names of the workers' co-operatives which are currently being provided with public funds; how much public money has been made available to them to date; what

Name	Amount of assistance	Form of assistance	Date assistance offered	Current employment Men Women
	£
Bardrec Ltd	21,000	Loan	July 1975	29	7
Scottish News Enterprises Ltd.	1.2m.	Loan	April 1975	Nil	Nil
Sunderlandia Ltd	2,210	Grant	October 1973	—	7*—
Kirkby Manufacturing and Engineering Ltd.	3.9m.	Grant	November 1977	693	111
0.86m.	Grant	April 1977
Meriden Motorcycles Ltd	4.2m.	Loan	July 1974	—	660*
0.75m.	Grant
0.5m.	Grant	March 1977
*Total employment: separate figures not available.

millions of tons of oil equivalent and a percentage of total United Kingdom energy use.

Dr. J. Dickson Mabon

Energy consumption is influenced by a wide variety of factors, and the reasons for changes are thus difficult, and sometimes impossible to establish. Estimates of reduced consumption due to energy conservation are, therefore, subject to great uncertainty, and the effects of contributing factors cannot be separately identified. However, after making allowance for changes in industrial output, and on the basis of historical trends, it is estimated that energy conservation, including the effects of Government's conservation programme and of energy price increases, have led to the following total reduction in final energy consumption between the beginning of 1974 and the end of 1975. The uncertainty of this calculation is indicated by the possible margins of error which are shown in the last column. Corresponding figures for the period since 1975 have not yet been evaluated.

is their annual cost to public funds; how many men and women they each currently employ; and what is the value of their exports in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Cryer: The information in connection with selective financial assistance under Part II of the Industry Act 1972 is as follows:

Given the nature of the assistance it is not possible to ascribe to these cooperatives an annual cost to public funds. The disclosure of these companies' exports is a commercial matter for their judgment.