HC Deb 06 May 1965 vol 711 c219W
Mr. Bishop

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has beeen the total amount paid in subsidies or grants to the following industries in the period since the nationalisation of the coal industry, namely, agriculture, cotton, shipbuilding, aircraft, coal, gas, electricity and oil.

Mr. Diamond

The totals of grants and subsidies to these industries since 1947 are as followsAgriculture—£3,384 million in deficiency payments and production grants and subsidies. Cotton—£25 million mostly in compensation payments for scrapping and grants for re-equipment. Shipbuilding—£3 million in grants to the British Ship Research Association and its predecessors. Aircraft—£74 million in contributions towards the cost of civil projects in return for a share in the proceeds of sales.

  • Coal—Nil.
  • Gas—Nil.
  • Electricity—Nil.
  • Oil—Nil.

NOTES: The above figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million. They exclude—

  1. (a) food subsidies borne by the Ministry of Food in the period 1946–54;
  2. (b) expenditure on the Cotton and Wool Utility Cloth Rebates in the years immediately following the war;
  3. (c) payments to Short Bros. and Harland Ltd. under the conditional grant announced by the Minister of Aviation on 8th February, 1963;
  4. (d) expenditure under the Distribution of Industry and Local Employment Acts, under which assistance has been given to firms in various industries in areas of high unemployment.