HC Deb 20 January 1975 vol 884 c230W
Mr. Marten

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total of (a) grants and loans and (b) subsidies and other receipts received from the EEC in the first 18 months of the United Kingdom's membership.

Mr. Joel Barnett

Total receipts from the European Communities' budget amounted to about £136 million in the period 1st January 1973 to 30th June 1974. Of this, £110 million was received by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund for market regulation under the common agricultural policy. A further £1.9 million was received from the European Social Fund. Refunds of the cost of collecting the Communities' "own resources" amounted to about £21 million.

In addition to these sums, the Commission was committed to pay the United Kingdom certain sums from the European Social Fund and the Guidance Section of EAGGF. Information on commitments is given in my reply to the Question asked by the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) on 6th December.—[Vol. 882, c. 669].

The European Investment Bank loaned United Kingdom organisations a total of £73 million in the 18 months to 30th June 1974. In addition, the European Coal and Steel Community is understood to have approved loans of about £80 million to the National Coal Board and the British Steel Corporation, and grants to the coal and steel industries amounting to about £5 million. Information on actual recepits from these ECSC grants and loans during the first 18 months of membership is not readily available, but £36 million of the loans and about £1 million of the grants had been received by 1st November.