HC Deb 10 June 1992 vol 209 cc295-6
8. Mr. Harry Greenway

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what funding his Department has provided to Ealing Enterprise; and what estimate he has made of the number of jobs created.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Technology (Mr. Edward Leigh)

Ealing Enterprise received pump priming in its start-up phase and is now supported by the West London training and enterprise council.

Mr. Greenway

Is my hon. Friend aware that Ealing Enterprise was founded by me and that it has been a source of many jobs for my constituents and others? Will he put more money into it and commend its excellent example to other parts of the country?

Mr. Leigh

Most Members are just Members, but my hon. Friend is Mr. Ealing. The whole House will recognise that he is one of the most dedicated and conscientious constituency Members. The enterprise agency that he founded has been successful. It has been helped by us in the past and it has created more than 1,200 jobs. Enterprise agencies are central to our strategy of creating the enterprise culture which so transformed the economy in the 1980s and resulted in there now being more than 3 million businesses in this country.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Does the Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte report on inward investment relate to London, and in particular to Ealing, in the same way as it relates to the northern region, in so far as it makes recommendations about assisted area status? What is the report's status? Is it a consultative document? Will it be debated by the House before Ministers make recommendations? Will we have the opportunity to question Ministers on the contents of the report, which has major implications for my constituents?

Mr. Leigh

One thing is absolutely certain: the report has nothing to do with Ealing Enterprise.

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