HC Deb 23 February 1954 vol 524 cc204-7
43. Mr. Walking

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the functions of the Development Commission in Wales; what assistance it has given to industries in rural Wales; and whether he will issue a statement of its activities during the last two years.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. R. A. Butler)

The Development Commissioners make recommendations to the Treasury on applications for advances from the Development Fund. The statement of assistance given to industries in rural Wales, and the list of these and other activities supported in Wales, is rather long. With permission, I will have it circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT, together with an account of the general purposes for which the Fund is designed.

Following is the statement: The Development Commissioners make recommendations to the Treasury on applications for advances from the Development Fund for the following purposes, in England and Scotland as well as in Wales:

  1. 1. Agriculture and rural industries.
  2. 2. Fisheries harbours.
  3. 3. Fisheries (including fisheries research).
    4. 205
  4. 4. Any other purposes calculated to promote the economic development of Great Britain, provided that they are of the same kind as the foregoing.
Assistance direct from the Fund to industries in rural Wales has been given by way of loan for the erection of factories of Blaenau Ffestiniog and Penygroes, and loans have been made for the development of a small carpet-making industry in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Continuing technical advice and instruction to rural industries in Wales as in England, is given through the Rural Industries Bureau, which maintains a Welsh office, and which is

ADVANCES SANCTIONED TO ORGANISATIONS IN WALES DURING THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL, 1952 — 16TH FEBRUARY, 1954
— Financial year 1952–53 Financial year 1953–54 to 16th February, 1954 Total
Rural Community Councils: £ £ £
Carmarthenshire:
General community work … … … 900 0 0 900 0 0 1,800 0 0
Rural industries work … … … … 1,214 0 5 1,119 0 0 2,333 0 5
Monmouthshire:
General community work … … … 750 0 0 750 0 0 1,500 0 0
Rural industries work … … … … 1,688 1 8 1,682 0 0 3,370 1 8
Pembrokeshire:
General community work … … … 750 0 0 750 0 0 1,500 0 0
Rural industries work … … … … 1,161 18 4 1,132 0 0 2,293 18 4
Montgomeryshire:
General community work … … … 750 0 0 750 0 0 1,500 0 0
Rural industries work … … … … 1,574 10 9 1,636 0 0 3,210 10 9
Merionethshire:
General community work … … … 900 0 0 900 0 0 1,800 0 0
Caernarvonshire:
General community work … … … 750 0 0 765 0 0 1,515 0 0
Rural industries work … … … … 1,460 0 0 1,409 0 0 2,869 0 0
Anglesey:
General community work … … … 750 0 0 650 0 0 1,400 0 0
Rural industries work … … … … 1,184 6 10 1,181 0 0 2,365 6 10
Denbighshire:
General community work … … … 900 0 0 900 0 0 1,800 0 0
Rural industries work … … … … 1,383 0 7 1,282 0 0 2,665 0 7
Cardiganshire:
Grants to establish new community council:
(a) General community work … … … — 900 0 0 900 0 0
(b) Office equipment … … … … — 280 0 0 280 0 0
Council of Social Service for Wales and Monmouthshire:
General community work in rural areas of Wales and Monmouthshire 7,200 0 0 6,540 0 0 13,740 0 0
Ffestlniog Carpets, Ltd.:
Advance for working capital … … … 3,500 0 0 3,397 13 0 6,897 13 0
Welsh Agricultural Organisation Society:
Grants in aid of the Society's work during calendar year 1952:
Basic … … … … 3,738 0 0 — 3,738 0 0
£ for £ … … … … 2,100 0 0 — 2,100 0 0
Calendar year 1953:
Basic … … … … — 4,750 0 0 4,750 0 0
£ for £ … … … … — 2,100 0 0 2,100 0 0
Welsh Agriculture and Industries, Ltd.:
Supplementary Loan: agricultural experiment in Anglesey 30,000 0 0 — 30,000 0 0
New Quay Urban District Council:
Grant to meet cost of repairs to the pier protecting New Quay Harbour 19,450 0 0 — 19,450 0 0
Totals … … … … 82,103 18 7* 33,773 13 0* 115,877 11 7*
* These sums were not necessarily drawn in their entirety during the financial years 1952–53 and 1953–54.

financed entirely from the Development Fund and through the loans available to rural craftsmen in certain approved categories from the Rural Industries Equipment and Workshop Loan Funds, also financed by the Development Fund. Grants from the Development Fund maintain rural industries organisers employed by rural community councils, of which there are nine in Wales. The activities supported from the Development Fund in Wales are not confined to rural industries, and the following is a list of advances from the Fund, sanctioned or drawn since 1st April, 1952, to bodies in Wales and Monmouthshire.

PAYMENTS MADE DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1952–53 AND 1953–54 FROM ADVANCES SANCTIONED IN YEARS PREVIOUS TO 1952–53
Financial year 1952–53 Financial year 1953–54 to 16th February, 1954 Total
— £ £ £
Montgomery County Recreation Association (new pavilion):
From grant sanctioned in 1951 (£2,200) … 1,300 0 0 — 1,300 0 0
From loan sanctioned in 1951 (£2,300) … 2,300 0 0 — 2,300 0 0
Blaenau Ffestiniog Urban District Council (erection of factory):
From ioan sanctioned in 1949 (£50,000) … 5,000 0 0 — 5,000 0 0
From loan sanctioned in 1949 (£50,000) … — 35,000 0 0 35,000 0 0
Gwyrfai Rural District Council (erection of factory):
From loan sanctioned in 1948 (£50,000) … 7,500 0 0 5,000 0 0 12,500 0 0
Ffestiniog Carpets Ltd:
From loan sanctioned in 1950 (£11,000) … 2,500 0 0 — 2,500 0 0
Welsh Agriculture and Industries Ltd.:
From loan sanctioned in 1948 (£113,700) … 11,682 6 0 — 11,682 6 0
Welsh Agricultural Organisation Society:
From grant sanctioned in 1951 (£3,100 Basic:£2,000 £ for £) 146 12 5 — 146 12 5
University College of Wales:
From grant sanctioned in 1949 for River Pollution Research (£90) — 67 13 7 67 13 7
Total … 30,428 18 5 40,067 13 7 70,496 12 0
GRAND TOTALS … 112,532 17 0 73,841 6 7 186,374 3 7

The Development Fund has also provided funds for the erection of temporary village halls by the National Council of Social Service and for loans in relief of the cost of permanent village halls. Grants are also made to the National Federation of Women's Institutes in aid of some aspects of their work, and the Council for the Promotion of Field Studies, which maintains a field centre at Dale Fort (Pembrokeshire) has received some assistance by way of capital grant from the Development Fund. Wales also derives some benefit from the considerable expenditure on fisheries research which has been authorised annually from the Development Fund.