HC Deb 29 June 1971 vol 820 cc84-5W
Mr. Dormand

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the amount of grant paid in the year 1st April, 1970 to 31st March, 1971 to local authorities, shown by counties, county boroughs and county districts, respectively, under Section 20 of the Industrial Development Act, 1966, and the percentage which this represents of the total cost.

Mr. Peter Walker

The grants paid during the financial year 1970–71 in England are shown below. The payments represent 85 per cent. of the net eligible costs in the development areas and 75 per cent. in the intermediate and derelict land clearance areas.

whereby the optimum economic growth rate of cities in the United Kingdom can be determined.

Mr. Graham Page

One of the purposes of a regional strategy is to appraise the economic and other factors which are likely to affect growth rates in selected areas. I believe that work on the strategies which the Government are commissioning is more likely in practice to come nearer to securing my hon. Friend's objective than a general study.