§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors he took into account when deciding to provide a grant to Unimerco; what assessment he made of its effect on British competitor companies; and if he will make a statement. [56560]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 28 October 1998]: The application for Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) from Unimerco Ltd. was appraised against the criteria of that scheme which covers employment, viability, industrial and regional considerations, UK net benefit and need for assistance. Those criteria were fully satisfied. As part of the RSA appraisal process, advice was provided by the Department's market specialists on the wider industrial background to the application and the company's marketing plan. The application was also considered by the West Midlands Industrial Development Board which brought a commercial perspective to the decision making process and paid close attention to the value of the project for both the regional and national economy. An offer of grant was made when the Department was convinced that the project would result in net benefits to the UK economy and that assistance was necessary for the project to go ahead.
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