HC Deb 13 July 1993 vol 228 cc432-3W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list(a) all measures taken by his Department in the last 12 months to prevent nuclear proliferation, (b) the number of personnel in his Department working to prevent nuclear proliferation and (c) his Department's total expenditure on control of nuclear proliferation in the last year.

Mr. Eggar

The Department of Trade and Industry works with other Departments to implement Government policy on nuclear non-proliferation. Over the past 12 months, my officials participated in the European political co-operation working group on nuclear non-proliferation, the nuclear suppliers group and the Zangger committee.

Grants to British Coal1 and payments under the Redundant Mineworkers Payments Scheme2
(£ million)
Financial year Deficit and Deficiency Grant Social and Restructuring Grant RMPS(b) Total
1987–88 200 477 295 972
1988–89 0 297 168 465
1989–90 6,153 1,090 126 7,369
1990–91 0 141 93 234
1991–92 0 457 61 518
1992–933 0 614 43 657
1 Grants to British Coal are at outturn prices, on an accruals basis, taken from British Coal's annual report and accounts.
2 Redundant mineworkers payments scheme. Figures exclude administration costs.
3 1992–93 figures provisional.

In addition to grant aid, the coal industry benefited by about £1 billion a year over the last three years from the financial advantage resulting from the premium over market prices which the electricity generators were paid for their coal supplies from British Coal.