§ 42. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much financial assistance has been paid from the United Kingdom Exchequer in each of the last three years which will have the effect of relieving unemployment in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. GreenNo assistance is paid from the United Kingdom Exchequer for the direct purpose of providing employment in Northern Ireland. Adjustments are made between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which are designed to ensure that the Northern Ireland Government can provide services on a roughly equal standard with those elsewhere in the United Kingdom, taking into account the special needs of Northern Ireland including the high level of unemployment there. These adjustments have involved payments from the United Kingdom Exchequer and National Insurance Fund, averaging just over £45 million per year over the last three financial years.