§ Mr. Pikeasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the total annual amount of regional aid paid to firms in (a) the north-west, (b) Lancashire, (c) Merseyside and (d) Greater Manchester in each year from 1976 to 1986; and if he will also express these figures at 1986 comparable prices.
§ Mr. Giles ShawI regret that the information requested is not available in the form required and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, I can provide the following total of regional assistance paid to firms in the north-west.
Financial Year Total Payments of Assistance Total Payments of Assistance £000's (actual figures at date) £000's (1985–86 value) 1976–77 60,162 143,495 1977–78 62,535 130,814 1978–79 104,664 197,839 1979–80 81,061 131,109 1980–81 124,580 169,958 1981–82 158,982 197,434 1982–83 115,830 134,169 1983–84 96,959 107,546 1984–85 93,205 99,026 1985–86 75,108 75,108 Notes:
- (1) The payments of assistance comprises amount of grant paid under old and more recently new regional development grant schemes, and payments under regional selective assistance.
- (2) The source of these figures is the annual reports under the Industry Act 1972 and the Industrial Development Act 1982, and data available from DTI NWRO.
- (3) The regional development grant component of the total excludes Cumbria in most years, while the regional selective assistance component includes Cumbria.