§ Mr. Barnettasked the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the annual cost of paying investment grants respectively three, six or nine months earlier than at present.
§ Mr. DellThe cost would not be an annual cost; it would be an additional cost during the period in which the payment on the additional quarters was made. and would depend on the amount of the qualifying investment in those quarters. For example, if the acceleration were made in 1969–70, and all the additional claims were made and paid in that year, I estimate that the additional cost of paying grants three, six and nine months earlier, would be of the order of £115 million, £230 million and £345 million, respectively.