§ Mr. Simsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further progress has been made in securing United Kingdom budget refunds from the European Community.
§ Mr. RidleyThe Commission of the European Communities has today announced decisions granting the United Kingdom a total of £631 million in Community support under the 'supplementary measures' and 'energy strategy' schemes. This represents the United Kingdom's basic refund for 1982, as agreed by Foreign Ministers last October. A downpayment of 90 per cent. of the £631 million (£568 million) is to be made to the United Kingdom before the end of the month. The balance will follow later in the year.
The supplementary measures scheme provides for contributions by the Community in respect of public
TABLE 1 Community supplementary measures contributions in respect of United Kingdom public sector investment programmes for 1982–83 £ million North North-West South-West Yorkshire and Humberside Scotland Wales Northern Ireland Total Roads 3.8 10.6 3.4 5.5 16.5 19.9 6.3 66.0 Rail 5.6 6.3 0.7 7.8 10.6 2.1 1.0 34.2 Water and sewerage 10.7 17.4 3.8 13.8 — 7.4 5.3 58.5 Telecommunications 23.1 49.1 7.9 39.7 45.3 25.4 17.7 208.2 Housing — — — — — — 32.9 32.9 Total 43.2 83.4 15.8 66.8 72.4 54.9 63.3 399.8 58W
Table 2: Community support granted to Projects under the Energy Strategy Regulation £ million Project Support granted Heysham I - Lancs 5.7 Heysham II - Lancs 29.7 Torness, East Lothian 26.9 Hartlepool-Cleveland 5.0 Dungeness - Kent 4.2 Drax - Yorkshire 97.8 investment programmes in the United Kingdom, principally in the assisted areas. The decisions announced today provide for the Community to contribute a total of £400 million in supplementary measures support in respect of the current year's investment programmes by central government and public corporation spending authorities. The support granted to each regional sub-programmes is set out in table 1.
The Commission has granted a further £231 million under the new regulation establishing specific measures of Community interest relating to energy strategy. Table 2 gives details of the Community suppport granted to individual projects.
These grants from the Community budget are enabling public expenditure programmes generally in the United Kingdom to be sustained at levels higher than the country could otherwise have afforded. Expenditure programmes throughout the country are benefiting accordingly.
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£ million Project Support granted Cross Channel Link - Kent 7.1 Dinorwic - Gwynedd 6.6 Fort Dunlop - West Midlands 1.2 Morecambe - Lancs 20.4 Rough - Yorkshire 12.8 St. Fergus - Grampian 0.4 Hornsea - Yorkshire 1.8
£ million Project Support granted Dynevor Arms - Wales 2.8 Nantgarw - Wales 2.9 Avonmouth III - Avon 2.4 Isle of Grain - Kent 3.4 Total 231.1