§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing how financial support to the steel industry for purposes other than capital investment or the financing of past investment compares with financial support given to agriculture, directly from the Exchequer and indirectly from the common agricultural policy.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallIn the chairman's statement of 29 November BSC estimated its losses for 1979–80 as something over £300 million, of which £180 million is interest. These losses are effectively covered through our financing of BSC. Support for agriculture is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who has referred me to the replies he gave on 7 December 1979 to my hon. Friend the Member for Holland with Boston (Mr. Body) and the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Neale).