§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales what annual financial assistance has been made to companies operating in Wales in each of the last 10 years by way of (a) investment grant, (b) rentfree
WALES Regional Preferential Assistance 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 £m. £m. £m. £m. £m. Investment Grants … 21.5 18.2 25.5 15.2 7.0 Rent-free tenancy of premises … 0.15 0.19 0.26 0.50 0.58 Regional development grants … — — 0.9 15.3 32.2 Selective financial assistance … — — negligible 4.7 7.5 Other schemes … 29.2 26.2 27.2 30.5 34.8 All figures are gross—i.e., net of repayments of loans, etc. The preferential element of investment grant expenditure has been estimated. Other schemes include Local Employment Act assistance; regional employment premium; Department of Employment preferential assistance to industrial training and other small items. Separate figures for capital allowances against taxation are not available for Wales.