§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what has been the average time between application and first payment of regional development grant prior to recent changes;
(2) what he expects to be the average time interval between first application and the first payment of regional development grants under the procedures announced on 28 November.
§ Mr. TrippierRegional development grants under the old scheme are paid in respect of approved expenditure incurred in providing new capital assets on qualifying premises. In the period 6 January 1984 to 14 September 1984 the average time between the receipt of an application for grant and the payment of grant was just under seven weeks. Under the new scheme grant will be payable in respect of new capital assets provided, or jobs created, within the context of an approved project.
The average interval between a claim for grant and the payment of grant will depend on a range of factors, in particular the volume of claims. When claimants and staff have experience of the new system it should be possible to make payments in respect of claims within about the same time as hitherto under the old scheme.