Regional Selective Assistance (Hansard, 13 December 1995)

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many applications for regional selective assistance have been(a) rejected by his Department and (b) accepted for each financial year since 1979–80; and what proportion those rejected represent of the total number of applications received; [1718]
(2) how many offers of regional selective assistance were made to companies by his Department in each financial year since 1979–80; and how many of these were fully accepted by the companies involved. [1733]

§ Mr. Kynoch
[holding answer 23 November 1995]: The data which the hon. Member seeks are set out in the tables.

Year of application Number of applications received Number subsequently rejected Percentage of applications rejected Number of applications progressing to acceptance

1979–80 300 9 3.0 241

1980–81 97 2 2.1 74

1981–82 189 9 4.8 145

1982–83 257 15 5.8 200

1983–84 262 12 4.6 197

1984–85 259 21 8.1 185

1985–86 154 15 9.7 113

1986–87 179 10 5.6 149

1987–88 234 10 4.3 198

1988–89 255 15 5.9 202

650W

Year of application Number of applications received Number subsequently rejected Percentage of applications rejected Number of applications progressing to acceptance

1989–90 314 28 8.9 235

1990–91 239 16 6.7 189

1991–92 203 12 5.9 162

1992–93 246 10 4.1 198

1993–94 307 21 6.8 248

1994–95 307 25 8.1 247

Notes:

1. This table refers to the year in which the application was received. Its acceptance or rejection may have taken place in a subsequent year.

2. As well as being accepted or rejected, applications may be withdrawn by the company before an offer is made, or, if an offer is made, it may be declined by the company.

3. In the most recent years, some offers are still outstanding and have not yet been accepted or declined by the company.

4. Application forms are normally only made available when prior discussion with the company concerned has indicated a reasonable possibility that an application will be successful.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many jobs his Department estimates have been(a) safeguarded and (b) created in Scotland in each financial year since 1979–80 by payments made under regional selective assistance; [1725]
(2) how much money was paid to companies operating within each new town in Scotland in regional selective assistance for each year since 1979–80; and how many companies were in receipt of this assistance; [1732]
(3) if he will list (a) the amounts spent on regional selective assistance by his Department, (b) the number of projects covered by his expenditure, (c) the average amount awarded for each application for regional selective assistance, (d) the amounts of money recouped by the Scottish Office in regional selective assistance, (e) the number of companies from which money was recouped and (f) the names of the companies from which the Scottish Office recouped this money for each financial [...]ear since 1979–80. [1735]

§ Mr. Kynoch
[holding answer 23 November 1995]: As regards money recouped from companies which had been in receipt of regional selective assistance, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 May 1995, Official Report, column 580.
Statistics on regional selective assistance are not collected by reference to new town boundaries.
The other information which the hon. Member seeks is set out in the table.
651W

Year Number of offers accepted Value of offers accepted (£ million) Forecast jobs created Forecast jobs safeguarded Average value of offer (£ million) Total expenditure (£million)

1979–80 186 32.2 11,133 8,699 0.173 17.4

1980–81 165 31.0 11,551 4,717 0.188 21.4

1981–82 118 29.9 8,224 3,799 0.254 17.7

1982–83 220 50.4 9,795 7,560 0.229 19.1

1983–84 159 38.3 8,770 7,057 0.241 22.7

1984–85 216 70.7 10,978 6,682 0.327 30.5

1985–86 134 58.6 8,169 6,458 0.437 35.3

1986–87 138 34.6 4,515 3,470 0.251 34.8

1987–88 192 56.2 8,200 6,574 0.292 37.6

1988–89 195 49.8 8,158 3,654 0.255 37.0

1989–90 234 76.3 10,003 3,862 0.326 40.7

1990–91 195 173.5 16,603 4,621 0.890 68.1

1991–92 160 52.3 6,453 2,005 0.327 64.4

1992–93 198 72.3 8,287 2,792 0.365 59.2

1993–94 238 126.8 11,046 6,235 0.533 69.8

1994–95 246 113.0 12,319 3,965 0.459 77.1

Notes:

1. This table refers to the year in which an offer was initially accepted. The final column relates to total expenditure in the year in question, some of which will arise from offers accepted in earlier years.

2. Where jobs are forecast to be created or safeguarded, that will be over the lifetime of the project, typically 3 to 5 years. Experience indicates that fewer jobs are actually created or safeguarded than originally forecast: around two-thirds. Actual grant payments are set in line with the actual number of jobs created or safeguarded and the level of investment actually undertaken.

Year of application	Number of applications received	Number subsequently rejected	Percentage of applications rejected	Number of applications progressing to acceptance
1979–80	300	9	3.0	241
1980–81	97	2	2.1	74
1981–82	189	9	4.8	145
1982–83	257	15	5.8	200
1983–84	262	12	4.6	197
1984–85	259	21	8.1	185
1985–86	154	15	9.7	113
1986–87	179	10	5.6	149
1987–88	234	10	4.3	198
1988–89	255	15	5.9	202

Year	Number of offers accepted	Value of offers accepted (£ million)	Forecast jobs created	Forecast jobs safeguarded	Average value of offer (£ million)	Total expenditure (£million)
1979–80	186	32.2	11,133	8,699	0.173	17.4
1980–81	165	31.0	11,551	4,717	0.188	21.4
1981–82	118	29.9	8,224	3,799	0.254	17.7
1982–83	220	50.4	9,795	7,560	0.229	19.1
1983–84	159	38.3	8,770	7,057	0.241	22.7
1984–85	216	70.7	10,978	6,682	0.327	30.5
1985–86	134	58.6	8,169	6,458	0.437	35.3
1986–87	138	34.6	4,515	3,470	0.251	34.8
1987–88	192	56.2	8,200	6,574	0.292	37.6
1988–89	195	49.8	8,158	3,654	0.255	37.0
1989–90	234	76.3	10,003	3,862	0.326	40.7
1990–91	195	173.5	16,603	4,621	0.890	68.1
1991–92	160	52.3	6,453	2,005	0.327	64.4
1992–93	198	72.3	8,287	2,792	0.365	59.2
1993–94	238	126.8	11,046	6,235	0.533	69.8
1994–95	246	113.0	12,319	3,965	0.459	77.1