§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Prime Minister what are the levels of industrial assistance for (a) factory rents, (b) training grants and (c) tax allowances in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) special development areas in Great Britain.
§ The Prime Minister:The information is as follows:
Factory RentsIn Great Britain the only assistance for factory rents is the provision of limited rent-free periods in Government factories to help let them. This is at the discretion of the various agencies concerned and information is not available on the total value of these concessions. In Northern Ireland there are a variety of concessions available, including rent-free periods of up to five years. The total value of actual and notional allowances is not available.Training GrantsExpenditure by the Manpower Services Commission on training for the needs of industry—including expenditure on the administrative costs of industrial training boards—in Great Britain was £97 million in 1980–81. Expenditure in Northern Ireland was £18.5 million. Payments of training grants do not distinguish between special development areas and other areas of Great Britain.308WTax AllowancesIn general, the tax allowances for Northern Ireland and for special development areas are the same as for the rest of the United Kingdom.