Government Aid

Mr. Sydney Irving
asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many companies applied to him for financial assistance in 1974; and how this compares with the numbers for 1972 and 1973.

Mr. Gregor Mackenzie
The information is as follows:

Mr. Benn
The EEC Commission has given the following figures in the European Parliament: -----------------------------------
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|1973–74 (15 months to March 1974)|
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|1974 (from March)                |
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These figures cover four applications in the first period, and three in the second. However, the figure for 1973–74 includes one loan of £10 million, the final application for which, following discussions during both periods, was made in April 1974, and another loan for which a supplementary application of £7·5 million was made in December 1974. Thus, the use of a different, although equally valid, definition of "application" from that used by the Commission would result in the following figures:
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|1973–74 (15 months to March 1974)|
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|1974 (from March)                |
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No applications were made in 1972.