§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Northern Ireland has received from the European social fund in each year from 1 January 1973 to 31 December 1980; how much of these receipts were paid to the private sector and how much to the public sector; how much each year represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy; and how much was used to offset Government expenditure in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Adam Butler[pursuant to his reply, 30 March 1981, c. 20]: Total receipts from the European social fund and for the private and public sectors are shown in table 1.
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Table 1 £ million Year (Calendar) Total Private Sector Public Sector 1973 Nil Nil Nil 1974 3.19 Nil 3.19
Year (Calendar) Total Private Sector Public Sector 1975 0.17 Nil 0.17 1976 6.38 0.07 6.31 1977 0.79 0.19 0.60 1978 14.24 0.24 14.00 1979 19.75 0.96 18.79 1980 21.05 2.03 19.02 Totals 65.57 3.49 62.08 Receipts to the private sector and to certain other bodies are paid direct to these bodies and can be regarded as a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy. Details of these receipts are set out in table 2. The receipts shown as retained by the Government, benefit the Northern Ireland economy in that they have allowed the Government to finance a larger public expenditure programme than otherwise would have been the case.
Table 2 Year (Calendar) Total Direct Payments Receipts retained by Government 1973 Nil Nil Nil 1974 3.19 Nil 3.19 1975 0.17 Nil 0.17 1976 6.38 0.07 6.31 1977 0.79 0.19 0.60 1978 14.24 0.47 13.77 1979 19.75 1.40 18.35 1980 21.05 2.80 18.25 Totals 65.57 * 4.93 60.64 * Includes receipts passed on to Industrial Training Boards and the Northern Ireland Electricity Service.