§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give(a) the total number of applications for regional selective assistance received between 1 April 1988 and 30 September 1989, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure for 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92 in cash and constant prices for each of the Department of Trade and Industry regions.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 30 October 1989]: The number of applications for regional selective assistance received between 1 April 1988 and 30 September 1989 was 2,542. The number of regional selective 280W assistance applications approved between 1 April 1988 and 30 September 1989 was 1893 and the value approved was £165.2 million.
Expenditure on regional selective assistance in 1988–89 by the DTI region was as follows:
£ million North East 34 North West 22 Yorkshire and Humberside 21 East Midlands 1 West Midlands 25 South West 4 England Actual 129 at 1989–90 prices 137 At the regional level the figures include only industrial and training grants. The England total also includes some unallocated project grants and expenditure under the business improvement services and exchange risk guarantee schemes which it is not possible to provide on a regional basis. The figures are net of domestic receipts.
The forecast provision for 1989–90 is £145 million; this figure is contained in the Supply Estimates for 1989–90. The above figure is net of domestic receipts and includes expenditure on industrial and training grants, and the business improvement services and exchange risk guarantee schemes: Figures for future years will be reflected in the 1990 public expenditure White Paper.