§ 64. Mr. Millanasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the total financial assistance given in each of the last five years under the Local Employment Act to manufacturing industry and to service and office employment, respectively, and the number of jobs provided in each case.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantI regret that information is not available in the form requested. The estimated value of assistance offered under the Act in the last five financial years in respect of projects in the manufacturing industries (Orders III—XIX of the Standard Industrial Classification) was, respectively, £36 million in 1967–68, £39.2 million in 1968–69, £74.7 million in 1969–70, £64.6 million in 1970–71 and provisionally £56.5 million in 1971–72. Comprehensive information is not available on the employment created by these projects but the employment estimated to arise when assistance was approved was 52,600 in 1967–68, 53,200 in 1968–69, 84,400 in 1969–70, 76,000 in 1970–71 and provisionally 44,200 in 1971–72. The estimated value of assistance offered in respect of projects in the service industries (Orders XXII—XXVII of the SIC) was £5.6 million in 1967–68 and £8.1 million in 1968–69. The value in subsequent years reflects the curtailment of assistance to these industries in July, 1968—£3.1 million in 1969–70, £1.9 million in 1970–71 and provisionally £0.8 million in 1971–72. Estimates of the employment in respect of which this assistance was approved are 9,000 in 1967–68, 13,900 in 1968–69, 5,600 in 343W 1969–70, 3,300 in 1970–71 and provisionally 1,400 in 1971–72.