Industry Act (Hansard, 30 April 1973)

§ 12. Mr. Horam
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a six-monthly information sheet detailing, with statistics, the impact of the Industry Act on the Northern Region.

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Anthony Grant)
No, Sir. Information on the discharge of the Department's functions under the Industry Act 1972 will appear in the annual report to Parliament which is pro vided for in Section 16 of the Act.

§ Mr. Horam
I am sorry to hear that. Is the Minister aware that he has not yet 782 come up with any decent information at any stage to Questions put down repeatedly by Opposition Members? Is he further aware that this silence is now accompanied by some disquieting rumours about the way in which the Industry Act is operating in practice?

§ Mr. Grant
The arrangement whereby reports are made annually was approved by Parliament in framing the Act. That report will come forward. It is very important not to take up the time of too many people in settling information rather than getting on with the job of making grants. As for the success or otherwise of the Act in the Northern Region, its success is shown by the fact that un employment there has declined since March 1972 from 6.6 per cent. to 5.4 per cent. in April 1973.

§ Dame Irene Ward
Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that this is a very good suggestion by the Opposition? Is he aware that there are many things that I should like done under the Industry Act? How am I going to know whether they have been done or not if I have to wait so long? Will my hon. Friend consider this matter again? Of course we knew that unemployment in the North would be reduced under this Government, but that does not mean that it has been sufficiently reduced. There are always things to be done, so I hope that my hon. Friend will take a little more interest in this question.

§ Mr. Grant
With respect, the Opposition did not suggest that reports should be six-monthly. When the Bill was going through, they agreed that reports should be made annually. In the first instance, I think that an annual report is more useful.

§ Mr. Benn
Does the Minister believe that the withdrawal of money from the Northern and other regions, following the ending of REP, will not impose greater penalties on those areas than any help which they may have received under Industry Act procedures?

§ Mr. Grant
No, I do not agree with that. Nor is there necessarily any evidence to suggest that. The whole question of REP and its phasing out will be discussed between both sides of industry and the Chancellor in the near future.

§ Mr. Adam Butler
What information will be given in the annual report? In particular, will the aid to individual companies as well as areas, and the jobs created, be listed?

§ Mr. Grant
The exact form of the report has yet to be settled, but it will pro vide for commentaries by the regional boards as well as by the Industrial Development Board itself, although at this stage I cannot say whether individual companies will be mentioned.

§ Mr. English
The Minister says that he is not prepared to publish these statistics, Is he sure that his Department has not given similar statistics to the EEC Commission, as it is by law required to do?

§ Mr. Grant
I do not think that that arises from the original Question, which referred to the publication of a six-monthly information sheet on the Indus try Act.