§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by name of recipient all allocations of regional selective assistance in the last five years to organisations in the North West of England, the value of the assistance and the date of the allocation, in development and intermediate areas separately. [90668]
§ Mr. WillsAs the list requested runs to some 900 companies, I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of that letter in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what circumstances pressures from competitors on UK commercial undertakings can be taken into account by the members of industrial development advisory committees or those advising them when considering applications for regional selective assistance. [90652]
§ Mr. WillsApplicants are only eligible for regional selective assistance if they are making new investments. As well as the viability of the project, competition and job displacement are factors taken into account when considering applications.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statistics are collected by his Department in respect of rejections of applications for regional selective assistance which lead to the cancellation of the proposed investment projects and a consequential loss of potential jobs. [90653]
§ Mr. WillsThe Department keeps a record of all regional selective assistance applications. It is not part of the scheme procedures, however, to continue contacts with unsuccessful applicants, and subsequent developments are not, therefore, routinely recorded.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs or potential jobs lost as a result of refusals of applications for regional selective assistance which have led to the cancellation of the proposed investment in each of the last three years. [90654]
§ Mr. WillsNo estimate has been made. It is reasonable to assume, however, that the figure would be small. Within available funds, the Department gives a sympathetic hearing to any eligible application and the main reasons for rejection are either on grounds that a project will proceed in any event without grant or that a project is not viable and would not, therefore, provide sustainable jobs.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the cost of regional selective assistance per job created in the North West of England in the last five years. [90655]
§ Mr. WillsThe average cost per job resulting from Regional Selective Assistance offers accepted in the North West over the last five years is £4,019.
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§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in the last five years members of the North West Industrial Development Advisory Committee or those who advise them have had to stand aside from the consideration of regional selective assistance applications for reasons of either personal or professional conflict of interest. [90656]
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next intends to review the workings of the Industrial Development Act 1982 in relation to the allocation of regional selective assistance. [90658]
§ Mr. WillsI have no plans to review the workings of the Industrial Development Act 1982 for this purpose.