HC Deb 29 November 1989 vol 162 c283W
Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much direct subsidy was paid by(a) the United Kingdom Government, (b) the Italian Government and (c) the French Government to their domestic industry in 1987.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

I regret that comparable figures for 1987 are not yet available. According to the European Commission, in 1986, the United Kingdom gave £1.9 billion, France £3.6 billion, Germany £4.8 billion and Italy £16 billion (or nine times as much as the United Kingdom). Average 1981–86 figures are as follows:

Aids to manufacturing industry (excluding steel and shipbuilding) Average 1981–86
(a) Percentage of value added United Kingdom (b) £per worker France (c) ECU per worker Italy
(a) 2.9 3.6 15.8
(b)448 724 3,523
(c) 757 1,223 5,951

Source: Survey of state aids—European Commission.