HC Deb 04 November 1975 vol 899 cc148-53W
Mrs. Chalker

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the net effect in financial terms of Great Britain's membership of the EEC.

Mr. Joel Barnett

In the period from 1st January 1973 to 1st September 1975 payments by the United Kingdom to the Community Budget amounted to £572 million; receipts in the same period totalled £494 million: a net contribution of £78 million.

Contributions to the capital and reserves of the European Investment Bank and to the reserves of the European Coal and Steel Community in the same period amounted to approximately £57.5 million and £24 million respectively. In addition the coal and steel industries paid about £18 million in production levies to the ECSC during this period.

The EIB has to date lent a total of £238 million in the United Kingdom. For details of loans in 1973 and 1974 I would refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 31st July 1974 to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker)—[Vol. 878, c. 231] and on 31st January 1975—Vol. 885, c. 248]; details of loans in 1975 are set out below.

Grants to the United Kingdom approved by the ECSC during the same period amounted to £24 million. The ECSC also made loans totalling £75 million to the National Coal Board and approved loans to the steel industry amounting to a further £154 million.

EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK LOANS 1ST JANUARY 1975 TO 31ST OCTOBER 1975
Borrower Dale Amount Project
£ million
South of Scotland Electricity Board. 28th February 1975 15.6 Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station, Ayrshire.
Electricity Council 28th February 1975 7.8 Nuclear Power Station, Hartlepool.
Distillers Company 29th May 1975 12.0 Whisky blending and bottling plant at Shieldhall, near Glasgow.
South of Scotland Electricity Board. 2nd June 1975 7.8 Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station, Ayrshire.
National Coal Board 2nd June 1975 7.2 Extension and modernisation of five coal mines in Yorkshire and South Wales.
British Gas Corporation 26th June 1975 24.2 New pipeline system to bring natural gas from the Frigg Field to Scotland and connect up with the national distribution grid.
British Gas Corporation 31st July 1975 23.6 Second phase of extensions to the natural gas transmission system to permit deliveries of gas from the Frigg Field.
Tate and Lyle 23rd September 1975 1.6 Construction of a glucose factory in Yorkshire.
Post Office 30th September 1975 17.5 Modernisation of telecommunications in Wales and the Borders.
National Water Council 30th October 1975 7.5 Kielder water scheme, North East England.
EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK LOANS 1ST JANUARY 1975 TO 31ST OCTOBER 1975
Borrower Dale Amount Project
£ million
South of Scotland Electricity Board. 28th February 1975 15.6 Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station, Ayrshire.
Electricity Council 28th February 1975 7.8 Nuclear Power Station, Hartlepool.
Distillers Company 29th May 1975 12.0 Whisky blending and bottling plant at Shieldhall, near Glasgow.
South of Scotland Electricity Board. 2nd June 1975 7.8 Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station, Ayrshire.
National Coal Board 2nd June 1975 7.2 Extension and modernisation of five coal mines in Yorkshire and South Wales.
British Gas Corporation 26th June 1975 24.2 New pipeline system to bring natural gas from the Frigg Field to Scotland and connect up with the national distribution grid.
British Gas Corporation 31st July 1975 23.6 Second phase of extensions to the natural gas transmission system to permit deliveries of gas from the Frigg Field.
Tate and Lyle 23rd September 1975 1.6 Construction of a glucose factory in Yorkshire.
Post Office 30th September 1975 17.5 Modernisation of telecommunications in Wales and the Borders.
National Water Council 30th October 1975 7.5 Kielder water scheme, North East England.
ECSC—LOANS—COAL INDUSTRY—ARTICLE 54
Date(received) In respect of Modernisation Amount
£m.
June 1974 Horden/Blackhall 2.362
July 1974 Powered Supports 10.440
September 1974 Littleton i.e. Littleton '5' 4.070
Royston
Easington
Betws
Trentham
February 1975 Horden/Blackhall 1.198
February 1975 Markham 3.293
February 1975 Powered Supports 7.709
February 1975 Littleton'5' 4.610
April 1975 Powered Supports 10.028
April 1975 Littleton'5' 5.133
May 1975 Thoresby 20.195
Haig
Ollerton
Thurcroft
Betteshanger
Dinnington
Lynemouth/Ellington
Coalfield Farm
Merthyr
Blarnant
October 1975 Plant and Equipment 4.570
November 1974 In respect of Housing Improvements 0.986
June 1975 In respect of Housing Improvements 0.650
Total received (after rounding) 75.248

Details of loans and grants since membership are set out below.

ECSC—LOANS—STEEL INDUSTRY—ARTICLE 54
Date In respect of Amount
£m.
June 1974 BSC Scunthorpe 15.50
September 1974 BSC Templeborough 1.25
January 1975 BSC Scunthorpe 10.20
February 1975 Woodhead Components 0.5
February 1975 Manchester Steel 2.3
May 1975 BSCOrgreave 4.0
May 1975 BSC Normanbury Park 7.0
Total Paid 40.75
Approved but not paid
Date In respect of Amount
£m.
July 1975 BSC Clydesdale 6.0
July 1975 BSC Port Talbot 35.0
July 1975 BSC Tinsley Park, Sheffield 25.0
Templeborough Rolling Mills 0.7
Spartan Steel, Newcastle 0.8
Total Approved 108.25
ECSC—LOANS AND GRANTS—COAL AND STEEL—ARTICLE 56
Article 56(2)a—Reconversion Loans
Coal Industry—None.
Steel Industry:
Date In respect of Amount Approved
£m.
March 1974 BLMCSpeke 5.1*
March 1974 Finance for Industry 10.0†
February 1975 BSC Ravenscraig 15.0‡
May 1975 BSC Ebbw Vale 15.55§
Total Approved 45.65
* Of this £4.0 million has been paid.
† Of this £0.0 million has been paid.
‡ Of this £15.0 million has been paid.
§ Of this £4.4 million has been paid.
Total Paid—£23.4 million.
Article 56(2)b—Readaptation Grants
Date In respect of Amount Approved
£m.
Total so far Coal Industry 10.44*
Total so far Steel Industry 3.042†
Total Approved 14.482
* Of this £2.5 million has been received by HMG, and £2.0 million has been received by NCB.
† Of this £0.713 million has been received by BSC.
Total Paid—£5.213 million.
ECSC GRANTS—COAL AND STEEL—ARTICLE 55
Steel Related Research
Activity Date agreed* Amount
£m.
BSC 1973 + 1974 total 0.934†
0.025‡
Private Sector 1973 + 1974 total 0.157
BSC 1975 to date 0.881
Private Sector 1975 to date 0.016
Total agreed after rounding 2.014

Coal Related Research
Activity Date agreed* Amount
£m.
MRDE December 1973 0.4806
CRE December 1973 0.633
MRDE March 1974 0.14328
IOM March 1974 0.13359
Medical July 1974 0.015532
IOM July 1974 0.383282
MRDE October 1974 0.4384
CRE October 1974 0.9099
Scientific December 1974 0.09
MRDE December 1974 0.104231
MRDE December 1974 0.023484
MRDE February 1975 1.2084
CRE February 1975 0.8832
MRDE May 1975 0.4764
CRE May 1975 0.1218
MRDE June 1975 0.732
CRE June 1975 0.7614
MRDE June 1975 0.023484
IOM June 1975 0.02136
Approved Total 7.583343
of this £921, 300 drawn down in 1975.
* Grants normally payable over 2–3 years.
† Technical Research.
‡ Ergonomic Research.