§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants have been made by his Department to the construction industry in each of the last six years; which organisations have received them; and what finances he proposes to make available to them during the next two years.
§ Sir George YoungThe construction industry is eligible for a wide variety of grants paid by the Department of Trade and Industry on the recommendation of my Department. Grants paid to individual firms directly by my Department under the Industrial Development Acts 1972 and 1982 in each of the last six years were as follows:
£ 1980–81 118,153 1981–82 89,801 1982–83 Nil 1983–84 Nil 1984–85 Nil 1985–86 150,000 Grants paid to the British Board of Agrement were:
£ 1980–81 545K 1981–82 545K 1982–83 575K 1983–84 300K 1984–85 370K 1985–86 265K Grants paid in financial sponsorship (under Class VIII, Vote 1 of Supply Estimates) were:
£ 1980–81 Nil 1981–82 14,491 1982–83 4,034 1983–84 1,200 1984–85 Nil 1985–86 58,000 Recipients have included NEDO, Construction Industry Computing Association, ICE and RIBA.
In addition to the above grants, my Department supports research work in the industry, currently providing about £2 million annually. The industry also benefits from a number of grants and subsidies paid to local authorities, new towns and the Housing Corporation towards the cost of providing and renovating housing; and from PSA development work in funding new British standards and new products.
Supply Estimates for 1986–87 include provision for the following:
£ Industrial Development grants 150,000 Grant to British Board of Agrement 175,000 Other grants 73,200 I also propose to make a contribution of £2,700 to the British National Committee of the Euro-International 233W Concrete Committee which, together with contributions from the PSA and Department of Transport, should cover half of the cost of class A annual membership of the CEB.
Other finance made be may available in 1986–87 if the need arises. Details of estimates for 1987–88 cannot be provided at this stage as they will depend on proposals and decisions that have yet to be made.