Mr. Hookyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will propose in the International Labour Organisation that all members should increase their contributions by an agreed percentage to replace the loss of the United States' contribution and enable the full work of the organisation to continue.
§ Mr. John Grant, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th December 1977; Vol. 940 c. 598] gave the following answer:
The withdrawal of the United States meant the loss of 25 per cent. of the ILO's income. This has been met by programme reductions amounting to 21.7 per cent. of the expenditure budgeted for the biennium 1978–79, and by an appeal to member States to make up the remaining 3.3 per cent. by voluntary contributions. The United Kingdom's share of the remaining deficit amounts to nearly $250,000, and we have offered to make over this period a voluntary contribution of our share on the understanding that no further liability will fall on the United Kingdom to pay any part of this deficit.