§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much shipbuilding intervention fund 78W support has been paid out in each year since 1977, and in total, to each of the member countries of the European Community.
§ Mr. AtkinsThere is no support for merchant shipbuilding paid for out of European Community funds. Each member state administers a regime of aid that is agreed with the European Commission within the framework of successive Council directives on shipbuilding aids. For the United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Government have made the following payments to merchant shipbuilding yards from the shipbuilding intervention fund:
Financial Year £ million 1976–77 1.4 1977–78 19.3 1978–79 10.8 1979–80 36.3 1980–81 45.8 1981–82 54.5 1982–83 54.9 1983–84 43.4 1984–85 28.1 1985–86 30.8 1986–87 22.4
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a table showing the balance in shipbuilding expenditure since 1979 between merchant and warship yards.
§ Mr. AtkinsSince British Shipbuilders is funded centrally, I can only provide an estimate that over 70 per cent. of total Government support of more than £1,750 million since 1979 has been used for merchant shipbuilding. The warship yards now in the private sector very nearly covered their costs. The balance has been used to support the corporation's engineering, shiprepair and offshore concerns.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide a table for the number employed in (a) the merchant and (b) the warship shipbuilding industry in each of the European Economic Community countries, including the United Kingdom, and Japan, Korea and Taiwan in 1979 and in the most recent year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe available information for merchant shipbuilding is as follows. Comparative information on warshipbuilding is not available. In 1979, 29,000 were employed in United Kingdom warship yards. In 1986 the figure was 17,700.
79W
'000s 1979 1986 Belgium 6.3 (1985) 3.9 Denmark 9.9 (1985) 10.2 France 23.0 (1985) 15.1 Germany 27.4 (1985) 22.3 Greece (1980) 2.7 (1985) 2.0 Ireland 0.8 Nil Italy 19.0 11.6 Netherlands 11.3 6.4 Portugal (1982) 3.8 (1985) 3.3 Spain (1980) 40.6 (1985) 18.0 United Kingdom 31.2 13.7 Japan (1980) 113.0 (1985) 93.0 South Korea (1982) 64.5 (1984) 176.6 Taiwan Not available
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide an updated list of the subventions on offer, in credit, loan and direct subsidy facilities for the shipbuilding industry in each of the European Economic Community countries, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe information given to the hon. Member on 9 December 1986 about aid regimes in other countries remains the most up-to-date information available. No EC member state has yet received Commission approval for a new aid regime under the sixth directive on aid to shipbuilding.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of world orders has been won by the British shipbuilding yards in 1986 and the latest convenient date in 1987.
§ Mr. AtkinsDuring 1986 United Kingdom shipbuilding yards won 2.1 per cent. of world orders. Data for 1987 are not yet available.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all public sector shipbuilding orders that are to be awarded in 1987 and 1988; and if he will list all those orders where tenders are currently invited.
British Shipbuilders yard Current orders Completion date Govan 2 container ships First half 1989 Austin and Pickersgill 1 multi-purpose cargo vessel Second half 1987 12 ferries Summer 1987 to mid 1989 Sunderland 1 crane ship Second half 1987 I diving support vessel January 1986 13 ferries Summer 1987 to mid 1989 Appledore-Ferguson (Port Glasgow) 1 passenger ro ro ferry February 1988 1 research vessel Second half 1987 Appledore-Fergusson (Appledore) 1 dredger Summer 1987 1 dredger Second half 1987 1 dredger First half 1988 Clark Kincaid 1 engine Summer 1987 1 engine First half 1988 1 engine Second half 1988