§ Lord Gainfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the timing for changes he will be making to the assisted areas map; and what 70WA arrangements will be made for grant applications from businesses in areas which are to lose status caught up by those changes.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)The European Commission cleared yesterday the Government's proposals for the new assisted areas map of Great Britain. My right honourable Friend the Minister for Trade has today signed the order to bring the new map into effect. It will be laid before Parliament today. We have issued a background document setting out the new map and explaining how the review of the map was conducted. Copies of this document are available in the Printed Paper Office. The new map will come into operation on 1st August. This allows nine days' notice so that businesses which have been engaged in pre-application discussions with departments under the various regional schemes will have an opportunity to complete formal application procedures before the changes take effect. Offers which have already been made will be honoured.