§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give(a) the total number of applications received for innovation grants from 1 April 1988 to the most recent date for which figures are available, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure planned for that period and the estimated expenditure for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92;
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 20 March 1989]: The information requested for the period 1 April 1988 to 28 February 1989 is as follows: 556W
Regional enterprise grants Innovation grants Investment grants Number of applications received 85 317 Number of applications approved 32 167 Value of applications approved £726.1 thousand £1,004 thousand Total gross expenditure of regional enterprise grants for the period covered is £205,000 out of a provision for 1988–89 of £1.6 million. Planned provision for 1989–90 is published in the Supply Estimates. Planned net provision for regional selective assistance and related schemes (including regional enterprise grants), consistent with the figures published in "Public Expenditure to 1991–92, A Commentary on the Scotland Programme" for each of the years 1990–91 and 1991–92 is £80 million.