§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount of public money given to support(a) farming, (b) the steel industry and (C) all manufacturing industries in each of the last 10 years. [13718]
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§ Mr. WilsonThe primary responsibility for farming support rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. l understand from colleagues that information on public expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy and on national grants and subsidies is contained in the publication "Agriculture in the UK", and that copies of this publication are available in the Library of the House. My Department provides support for farming under the small firms loan guarantee scheme. The amounts paid against claims relating to farming under the guarantee since 1991 are as follows:
Year Amount paid (£) 1991 nil 1992 37,336.41 1993 15,671.86 1994 94,179.59 1995 219,391.52 1996 242,017.49 1997 228,727.59 1998 131,508.71 1999 19,947.17 2000 39,647.41 2001 nil to date Total 1,028,427.75 The provision of state aid to steel companies which produce products covered by the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) treaty is governed by the Steel Aid Code of the treaty. This code permits aid, only in limited circumstances, for research and development, environmental protection and the permanent closure (not rescue) of a steel company. The only instance of aid to a company covered by the treaty was in the mid-nineties when British Steel was provided with aid of around £180,000 towards a research and development project under the Link programme. Further details on aid to this industry could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department currently spends around £1 billion a year in support for business of which a very significant proportion directly and indirectly benefits manufacturing industry. Because of the wide-ranging nature of DTI support quantifying the exact proportion of public money given to support particular industries (e.g. manufacturing or farming) in each of the last 10 years would raise problems of definition and would also incur disproportionate cost.