§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out in the Official Report, in suitable categories of each year and by counties, the total amount of assistance, both capital and revenue, received by the United Kingdom coal industry since the United Kingdom joined the European Coal and Steel Community on 1st January 1973.
516W
§ Mr. EadieFinancial assistance from the European Coal and Steel Community to the United Kingdom coal industry has consisted of loans at preferential rates of interest and grants. Loans have mainly been given in amounts covering projects at several pits which are not necessarily in the same National Coal Board area or general items. Grants have been given for (i) research, on the basis of individual projects normally at research establishments and (ii) to assist redundant and redeployed mineworkers, where payments are received on a national basis. For these reasons it is not possible to give financial aid by area or county but only on a United Kingdom basis as follows:
Research Grants Readaptation Grants Loans £m. £m. £m. 1973 … Nil Nil Nil 1974 … 1.25 Nil 17.9 1975 … 1.335 4.25 71.1 (2.25)* 1976 … 3.165 4.00 89.9 (2.00)* 1977† … 1.386 1.30 17.4 (0.909)* Totals† … 7.132 9.55 196.3 * Figures in brackets represent that part of the grant which was paid to Her Majesty's Government as part reimbursement of the cost of the Redundant Mineworkers Payments Scheme. † To date.