§ Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will allocate further grant aid specifically to the west midlands for plant modernisation.
§ Mr. ButcherThe west midlands initiatives announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Industry on 21 March 1983 will be of particular benefit to the region and were primarily introduced to ensure that firms in the region take maximum advantage of the national schemes of assistance provided by the Department. These schemes are demand-led and the grant-aid available to the regions will depend on the rate of applications and the success of those applications.