§ Mr. Woofasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the latest subsidy per
1976 1977 Aid/Tonne Total Aid/Tonne Total (£) (£m.) (£) (£m.) United Kingdom … … 0.3 39 0.5 67 Germany … … … 1.7 160 2.6 247 France … … … 8.9 196 13.3 278 Belgium … … … 16.4 123 19.8 138 Coal production in the Netherlands ceased in 1974.
These figures, calculated at the exchange rates on 23rd November 1977, are for aids to current production only, and do not include social aids which cannot be considered on an equivalent basis. I regret that figures I gave in an answer to a supplementary question on 14th November—[Vol. 939, c. 2–6]—had been erroneously converted from European units of account.