Regional Development Grant

HC Deb 20 October 1988 vol 138 cc979-80W

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make a statement about payment of regional development grant.

Mr. Newton

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have decided that the current two-month waiting period for interim payments under the revised regional development grant scheme will be lifted tomorrow. Payments which are at present held up by the waiting periond will be made as soon as practicable. This will be of immediate benefit to companies operating in the development areas, particularly in the light of the increased case processing times which have resulted from the surge in applications before the scheme closed last March.