HC Deb 15 March 1994 vol 239 cc613-7W
Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the receipts under the European social fund in each financial year were earned by(a) the private sector, (b) non-central Government public sector bodies and (c) central Government.

Sir John Wheeler

The information is as follows:

Year Private/Vol. sector £ million non-central Government public bodies Central Government
1973–74
1974–75 0.41 0.31 2.68
1975–76
1976–77 0.77 0.58 5.05
1977–78 0.90 0.68 5.92
1978–79 1.80 1.35 11.85
1979–80 1.80 1.35 11.85
1980–81 2.76 2.07 18.17
1981–82 3.00 2.25 19.75
1982–83 4–22 3.17 27.81
1983–84 4.56 3.42 30.02
1984–85 4.56 3.42 30.02
1985–86 3.00 2.25 19.75
1986–87 6.39 4.80 42.11
1987–88 6.77 5.08 44.55
1988–89 4.33 3.25 28.52
1989–90 5.35 4.01 35.19
1990–91 5.24 3.93 34.50
11991–92 5.06 3.80 33.32
60.92 45.72 401.06
1 This is the latest available information as claims for 1993, and some for 1992, have not yet been settled.

Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money Northern Ireland has received in each financial year from EC sources apart from payments under the three structural funds.

Sir John Wheeler

The following amounts have been identified as being received in Northern Ireland from European Community sources other than the three structural funds since 1987–88 when meaningful figures first became available.

Financial year Total £ million
1987–88 27.6
1988–89 27.8
1989–90 46.1
1990–91 48.1
1991–92 59.7
1992–93 56.3

Most of the receipts in this category are from the guarantee section of the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund. However, it should be noted that the bulk of guarantee section receipts are disbursed centrally by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce and details of payments are not generally maintained at regional level. Other small payments are made by the European Commission direct to recipients which are not passed through the United Kingdom Government.

Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money received in each financial year up to 31 December 1993 from EC sources has been paid into the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund.

Sir John Wheeler

All money received from EC sources is paid into the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund.

Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money Northern Ireland has received in each financial year up to 31 December 1993 from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund, guidance sector; how much of those receipts were paid to the private sector; how much of these receipts were paid to the public sector; how much of these receipts represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy; and how much was used each year to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland.

Sir John Wheeler

The following amounts were received from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund, guidance section.

£ million
Financial year Individual capital projects Other guidance schemes Total
Private sector Public sector Private sector1 Public sector
1974–75 0.25 0.25
1975–76 0.45 0.25 0.66
1976–77 1.87 0.31 0.27 2.45
1977–78 1.28 0.31 1.28 2.87
1978–79 0.70 0.24 2.46 3.40
1979–80 1.27 0.20 3.21 4.68
1980–81 1.91 1.05 3.35 6.31
1981–82 1.43 0.13 4.69 6.25
1982–83 2.47 0.99 3.30 6.76
1983–84 1.59 0.38 14.65 16.61
1984–85 0.95 0.28 13.29 14.52
1985–86 3.56 0.03 11.83 15.42
1986–87 2.58 0.11 5.96 8.65
1987–88 3.29 5.99 9.28
1988–89 2.31 0.51 10.05 12.87
1989–90 2.84 6.60 9.44
1990–91 4.75 6.25 11.00
1991–92 4.31 21.78 2.86 28.95
1992–93 8.31 9.56 0.45 18.32
1993–942 0.66 13.17 2.70 16.53
Totals 46.53 4.54 138.15 6.01 195.22
1 Includes reference to the approximate share in Northern Ireland on various structural schemes which were applied throughout the United Kingdom.
2To December 1993.

All these receipts present cash additions to the recipients and are subject to normal European Community audit arrangements. The overall level of receipts is taken into account in the Government's decision on public expenditure allocations and their availability enables public expenditure to be maintained at a higher level than would otherwise be feasible.

Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the receipts which Northern Ireland has received from the European regional development fund since 1973 has been earned by(a) infrastructure projects undertaken by non-central Government bodies, (b) infrastructure projects undertaken by central Government and (c) industrial projects.

Sir John Wheeler

The following amounts have been received from the European regional development fund to 31 December 1993:

Infrastructure £ Million
Non-central Government 125.8
Central Government 79.9
Industry 100.7
Programmes1 222.6
TOTAL2 529.0
1 These programmes combine elements of both industry and infrastructure.
2 Includes estimated receipts for the first nine months of the 1993–94 financial year.

Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been received by Northern Ireland under each of the European Community initiatives to date.

Sir John Wheeler

Under the 1989 to 1993 structural funds allocation, Northern Ireland has 10 approved Community initiatives. The amounts recived to date under each initiative are:

£ million
INTERREG (assistance to border areas) 25.52
STRIDE (research and technological development) 8.55
ENVIREG (environmental improvement) 2.34
PRISMA (assistance to firms) 3.41
TELEMATIQUE (promotion of telecommunications service) 3.36
EUROFORM (qualifications and new skills and employment opportunities) 0.90
NOW (employment opportunities for women) 0.90
HORIZON (handicapped and certain disadvantaged groups) 0.71
RETEX (diversification for textile regions) 0.90
LEADER (rural development) 1.09

Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money Northern Ireland has received from the European social fund in each financial year up to 31 December 1993; now much each year represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy; and how much was used to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland.

Sir John Wheeler

The following amounts were received from the European social fund:

Financial Year Total £ million
1973–74
1974–75 3.4
1975–76 0.0
1976–77 6.4
1977–78 7.5
1978–79 15.0
1979–80 15.0
1980–81 23.0
1981–82 25.0
1982–83 35.2
1983–84 38.0
1984–85 38.0
1985–86 25.0
1986–87 53.3
1987–88 56.4
1988–89 36.1
Financial Year Total £ million
1989–90 44.6
1990–91 43.7
11991–92 42.2
Total 507.8
1 This is the latest available information as claims for 1993, and some for 1992, have not yet been settled.

Receipts earned by the private sector and by non-central Government public sector bodies are paid to the claimant. The recipients represent cash additions to the recipients. Receipts earned by central Government are paid into the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund. All ESF receipts are subject to EC audit arrangements.

The overall level of receipts is taken into account in the Government's decisions on public expenditure allocations, and their availability enables public expenditure to be maintained at a higher level than would otherwise be feasible.

Rev. Ian Paisley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Northern Ireland's share of the United Kingdom's payments into the European Economic Community was from 1 January 1973 to 31 December 1993; how much Northern Ireland's share was of the receipts for the same period; and how much of those receipts was used to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland.

Sir John Wheeler

It is not possible to determine Northern Ireland's actual share of the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Community because payments are made on a national and not a regional basis. Similarly it is not possible to identify the full extent of receipts from the Community. However, a Northern Ireland attributed share of the contribution to the EC is calculated as an accounting mechanism necessary because of the operation of a separate Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund. This notional attributed share does not count as an item of expenditure within the Northern Ireland public expenditure programme and has therefore no bearing on the level of public expenditure in the Province.

Figures for the notional attribution of part of Northern Ireland's share of the United Kingdom's payments and for those areas where the receipts from the European Community's structural funds can be separately identified are as follows:

Financial year Attributed share (part) £ million Identified receipts2 £ million
1973–74 1 0
1974–75 6 4
1975–76 8 4
1976–77 13 16
1977–78 16 14
1978–79 24 19
1979–80 28 31
1980–81 28 44
1981–82 50 41
1982–83 66 53
1983–84 66 51
1984–85 68 58
1985–86 74 44
1986–87 62 77
1987–88 91 111
1988–89 85 96
1989–90 104 95
Financial year Attributed share (part) £ million Identified receipt2 £ million
1990–91 107 110
1991–92 1100 132
1992–93 1134 158
Total 1,131 1,158
1 Attributed share figures for the last two years are provisional estimates which will be revised when final details of tax revenues are determined.
2 This comprises total identified EC structural funds receipts in Northern Ireland.

All receipts represent cash additions to the recipients and are subject to normal European Community audit arrangements.

The overall level of receipts is taken into account in the Government's decisions on public expenditure allocations and their availability enables public expenditure to be maintained at a higher level than would otherwise be feasible.