§ Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the levels of state aid to industry in other EU member states relative to the UK and of whether this results in unfair competition. [186419]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe European Commission publishes regular reports on levels of state aid spending in member states, based on information which member states are required to provide, and the results are available on the Commission's website at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/state_aid/scoreboard/
EU rules on state aid provide a safeguard against any member state funding businesses in a way that will distort competition and trade within the single market. The Government sees this regime as essential in ensuring a level playing field for businesses across the EU, and we are committed to the objectives agreed at Lisbon and other European Councils of less and better targeted state aid.