§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what progress is being made by his Department to recoup some of the contribution to the European Coal and Steel Community, stating specifically the advances on behalf of coal and steel separately ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) whether he expects to get agreement with the European Coal and Steel Community on the bids he is submitting by the end of the Commission's financial year.
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§ Mr. Tom BoardmanAs I announced on 2nd November—[Vol. 863, c. 39.]—in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Cheadle (Mr. Normanton) an agreement has been negotiated under Article 56 of the Treaty of Paris for readaptation assistance to redundant or transferred steel workers. Negotiations are proceeding for a similar agreement covering mine workers. Applications have been made and others are in preparation for loans towards projects capable of employing redundant coal and steel workers. ECSC is making a contribution to research projects in the United Kingdom and we have access to the results of comparable work done in other member countries. Discussions are proceeding on the financing of social research studies into re-employment possibilities and we are also exploring the possibility of securing loans towards special housing projects. It is too early to assess the measure of assistance that will be forthcoming under these initiatives.
Of three applications for assistance to steelworkers under the readaptation agreement, the European Commission has accepted two and expects to reply to the third before the end of the year. I am also hopeful that agreement will be reached on a number of research studies by then.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to negotiate a draft convention with the European Coal and Steel Community which will embody a recognition of the United Kingdom coal industry's manpower and wages requirements and provide for part of the recoupments from Her Majesty's Government's annual contribution to be paid for that purpose.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanArticle 56 of the Treaty of Paris which established the European Coal and Steel Community provides for readaptation grants for redundant or transferred miners and we are negotiating an agreement under this article. There is no similar provision for assistance with the pay of productive workers. We are, however, working with our partners on a reassessment of the prospects for the coal industry in the light of developments in the energy market.