HC Deb 03 April 1980 vol 982 cc372-3W
Rev. Ian Paisley

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Northern Ireland's share of the United Kingdom's payments into the EEC was for each financial year from 1 January 1973 to date; how much were the receipts; how much of these receipts each year represented a cash addition to the whole Northern Ireland economy; how much of these receipts each year is used to offset part of the Government's expenditure on Northern Ireland; how much of these receipts each year represented a straight addition to the money otherwise available to the recipients and hence a cash addition to the whole Northern Ireland economy; and how much of these each year was used to offset part of the Government's expenditure in Northern Ireland receipts.

Mr. Rossi

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1980, c. 658]: It is not possible to determine in total how much of the United Kingdom's contribution to the EEC can be attributed to Northern Ireland nor the full extent of receipts from the EEC. In this connection, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 31 January 1980.—[Vol. 977, c. 769.]

For those areas where receipts can be identified and where a notional attribution of part of Northern Ireland's share of the United Kingdom's payments has been made the latest figures are as follows:

Identified Receipts £m. Attributed share (part)* £m.
1973–74 … … — … 1.0
(1 quarter only)
1974–75 … … 3.4 … 5.6
1975–76 … … 3.4 … 7.9
1976–77 … … 15.8 … 12.7
1977–78 … … 15.5 … 16.6
1978–79 … … 19.9 … 34.8
1979–80 … … 28.8 … 30.1
(adjusted provisional)
* Source: Northern Ireland Financial Statement.

Because of the limited extent of the information, it is not possible to identify the total amounts representing a straight addition to money otherwise available to the recipients. Community receipts retained by the Government benefit the Northern Ireland economy as a whole because they enable the Government to finance a larger public expenditure programme than would otherwise be the case.