§ 28. Mr. Blakerasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the amount of the investment grants paid 484 during the most recent period in respect of the printing of posters and circulars and of the blending of butter, respectively.
§ Mr. BlakerWhat is the hon. Gentleman's estimate of the contribution of these two industries to exporting or import saving? Does he really think that they are more deserving of investment grants than other industries which do not get them, such as the scrap metal and waste paper recovery industries?
§ Mr. DellI cannot give that figure without notice. The dividing line in the Industrial Development Act is in respect of manufacturing industry. These are manufacturing processes in respect of which, therefore, the grants are given.
Mr. J. T. PriceIs my hon. Friend aware that, in the opinion of some of us on this side of the House, the indiscriminate use of investment grants represents the biggest hole in the economic bucket? Speaking for myself, I strongly urge the Government to take the closest look into the way these grants are being grossly misused by large sections of industry.
§ Mr. DellI am aware of my hon. Friend's opinions in this matter. I do not agree with him. The evidence is—and we heard it on 4th February, when he took a brief part in the debate—that investment grants are a major incentive to investment in manufacturing industries. But we are conducting an inquiry, as I said on that occasion, which will attempt to assess the effectiveness of this investment incentive.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinWhile many of us would agree with the opinion expressed by the hon. Member for Westhoughton (Mr. J. T. Price), will the Minister of State recognise that schizophrenia is not confined to one side of the House?
§ Mr. DellI think the danger is when schizophrenia appears in an individual rather than in a group.