§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what policies(a) initiated and (b) managed by her Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if she will make a statement. [124098]
§ Jacqui SmithNorth West Development Agency's Pendle Economic Regeneration Programme is providing £6.4 million over four years from 2002 to promote the economic infrastructure and boost business competitiveness in the area. This is in addition to ongoing policy initiatives that were in place before 2001, including Business Link East Lancashire, which 791W provides support to new and developing businesses in the area, and the Enterprise Grant Scheme (EGS) and SMART awards. Since January 2001, there have been 17 EGS and two SMART awards in the Pendle area, providing a total of £636,500 of investment support to small and medium-sized enterprises.