§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives are being pursued by his Department to attract foreign investment in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [134899]
§ Mr. Paul MurphySince primary responsibility for promoting Wales as a location for inward investment now rests with the National Assembly for Wales, my Department is pursuing no specific initiatives to this end. However, I maintain close contact with the First Minister and his Cabinet and with the Chairman of the WDA. I and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State also emphasise the attractions of Wales for foreign investment when our duties involve meetings with people from overseas.
The National Assembly, in conjunction with its "Team Wales" partners, continues to enjoy considerable success in securing projects from foreign investors. Important developments announced during the current year have included:
- One2One Personal Communications Ltd. at Merthyr Tydfil;
- Cycle City Ltd. at Bangor;
- SPX Contech at Welshpool;
- General Domestic Appliances Ltd. at Bodelwyddan; and Manpower plc at Pembroke Dock.
These five projects will involve capital investment totalling more than £50 million. They are expected to create nearly 1,500 new jobs, while safeguarding a further 1,000.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much foreign investment Wales received in the last 10 years. [135226]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyBetween April 1990 and March 2000, capital expenditure reported by overseas-owned companies at the time of the investment decision was £8,603 million.