Government Aid

HC Deb 18 March 1976 vol 907 cc619-20W

Mr. Wyn Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what United Kingdom central Government aid to industry is comparable with the Italian interest subsidy for industrial investment; and what are the current comparable rates.

Mr. Gregor Mackenzie

I have been asked to reply.

Subsidised credit is available in Italy at a variety of rates in different regions

The rates of import duty applicable to British footwear imported into Spain are set out in Table 1 below.

Full details of the United Kingdom rates of import duty on Spanish footwear are set out in Part 10K of the Customs and Excise Tariff (tariff headings 64.01 to 64.04 inclusive).

TABLE 1
Tariff Heading	Description	Import Duty
64.01	Footwear with outer soles and uppers of rubber or artificial plastic material:
	A. Overshoes	16 per cent.
	B. Sandals and slippers	16 per cent.
	C. Half-boots and high boots	25 per cent.
	D. Other	16 per cent.
64.02	Footwear with outer soles of leather or composition leather; footwear (other than footwear falling within heading No. 64.01) with outer soles of rubber or artificial plastic material:
	A. With uppers of skin, leather or composition leather, of a length of:
	1. 23 cm. or more, for women and girls	35 per cent.*
	2. 23 cm. or more, for men and boys	35 per cent.*
	3. Less than 23 cm., for infants	25.5 per cent.†
	B Other:
	1. With uppers of rubber or synthetic plastic	21. 5 per cent.
	2. Slippers with uppers of cloth, felt or fabric	32 per cent.
	3. Shoes, high boots and ankle-boots, with uppers of textile materials.	32 per cent.
	4. Canvas shoes with rubber soles	21.5 per cent.
	5. Footwear with uppers of other materials	25.5 per cent.
64.03	Footwear with outer soles of wood or cork:
	A. With outer soles of wood or cork:
	1. With uppers of leather, rubber or artificial plastic materials.	19.5 percent.
	2. With uppers of other materials	19.5 percent.
	B. Footwear entirely of wood or cork	8 per cent.
64.04	Footwear with outer soles of other materials:
	A. With uppers of leather, rubber or artificial plastic materials.	25.5 per cent.
	B. With uppers of other materials	35 per cent.
* Subject to a minimum duty of 90 ptas per kg.
† Subject to a minimum duty of 80 ptas per kg.

and for various purposes. So far as we can judge it is not readily comparable with aid currently available in the United Kingdom, for example under the 1972 Industry Act.