§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance Bass at Preston Brook received from new town development corporations to locate, expand or restructure on the site.
§ Mr. Yeo[holding answer 4 July 1991]: The former new town development corporation at Runcorn leased a 98-acre site to Bass in 1971. Subsequently some smaller associated sites were also leased to the company. In 1985 Bass purchased the freehold reversion of the site. Apart from certain infrastructure works carried out by the corporation in the normal course of opening up areas for development, I am not aware of any other assistance provided to Bass by the development corporation. I understand, however, that Bass received a regional development grant from the Department of Trade and Industry for its development at Runcorn.