§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy, in reference to the Secretary of State's conclusion, Official Report 20th March, column 958, that British coal is the least subsidised in Western Europe, what are the separate criteria used as a basis for the comparison as between Great Britain and the Federal Republic of Germany; and whether both direct and indirect subsidies are included.
§ Mr. BennThe figures on which I based my statement were taken from296W table 2 of the European Commission document COM(77)570 final of 15th November 1977 a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Both direct and indirect aids are included and the document sets out the criteria.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy, in calculating the British subsidy on coal, whether the £415 million capital write-off from the accounts of the National Coal Board in 1965 and the £475 million in 1973 were included.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy, in calculating the British subsidy on coal, whether the tax on fuel oil introduced to benefit the coal industry was included.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy, in calculating the 50 pence per ton subsidy on British coal, what items are set out in the Supplementary Estimates for 1977–78, H.C. 230—iv, have been included.