§ Mr. Watkinsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will indicate the nature and amounts of grants made by the Development Commission to appropriate bodies, etc., in Wales for the financial year ended 31st March, 1958.
§ Mr. SimonIn the financial year ended 31st March, 1958, my Department, on the recommendation of the Development Commissioners, approved grants amounting to £39,159 and loans amounting to £107,300 to organisations in Wales. Details of these grants and loans are given below. They exclude assistance given from the Development Fund to various organisations which operate both in, England and Wales, since it is not always 47W possible to identify the specifically Welsh element in such expenditure.
These latter organisations include, for example: the Rural Industries Bureau, which gives technical advice and instruction to rural industries; the Rural Industries Equipment and Workshop Loan Funds which makes loans to rural craftsmen in certain categories; the National Council of Social Service, which provides loans towards the cost of permanent village halls; and the National Federation of Women's Institutes, which receives grants from the Development fund in respect of some of its activities.
The following are the details:
48W
GRANTS Name of Organisation Amount £ Rural Community Councils:— Anglesey: General community work 1,563 Rural industries work 2,068 Breconshire: General community work 1,155 Caernarvonshire: General community work 1,601 Rural industries work 1,503 Cardiganshire: General community work 1,589 Carmarthenshire: General community work 1,619 Rural industries work 1,721 Denbighshire: General community work 1,709 Rural industries work 2,042 Merionethshire: General community work 1,588 Monmouthshire: General community work 1,711 Rural industries work 2,112 Montgomeryshire: General community work 1,669 Rural industries work 2,064 Pembrokeshire: General community work 1,498 Rural industries work 2,282 Radnorshire: General community work 1,100 Council of Social Service for Wales and Monmouthshire General community work in rural areas of Wales and Monmouthshire 4,665 University College of Swansea Survey of the littoral fauna of Milford Haven and of shores affected by oil pollution (for three years) 900 Welsh Agriculture and Industries Ltd. To meet administrative expenses relating to factory projects: three months to 31st December, 1957 625 nine months to 30th September, 1958 2,375 Total Grants £ 39,159
LOANS Name of Organisation Amount £ Wales and Monmouthshire Industrial Estates Ltd. For purchase of site, building a foundry, a machine shop and ancillary accommodation at Penygroes to be leased to Messrs. Austin, Hopkinson & Co. Ltd 106,750 Welsh Agriculture and Industries Ltd. For the erection of a factory at Llangefni for Messrs Warburton (additional sum to make total loan—£8,350) 550 Total Loans *£107,300 * Excluding £58,438 for a factory at Llangefni, originally intended for lease to Messrs. Cableform Ltd. The company has recently indicated, however, that it no longer needs factory premises in this area. The future of the project is now therefore being reviewed.
£ Total Grants 39,159 Total Loans 107,300 Grand Total £146,459