§ Mr. G. Brownasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total amount of grants, subsidies and other financial assistance provided by the Government during the current financial year to privately-owned industry, including agriculture.
§ Mr. SimonExact figures cannot be obtained without undue expenditure of time and labour; but the figures below give the major items so far provided for in the current year's Estimates. The figures cover assistance by way of actual payment only; and no attempt has been made to evaluate the net benefit to private industry as the result of various Government services, e.g., services in Development Areas and the work of the Research Councils and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
£m Agriculture Support Subsidies 243.1* Fishery Grants and Subsidies 6.9 Financial Assistance in Development and other Areas 3.6 Ministry of supply Civil Air Development 5.0 Civil Element of Research Programme 3.5 Loans to Steel Companies 1.0 Total of Above 263.0 * Estimate figures adjusted for changes in guarantees announced following the Annual Review (see Cmnd. 696).