HC Deb 25 January 1973 vol 849 cc235-6W
Mr. Marten

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount of public funds which has been disbursed in all forms of regional aid and aid to industry in 1970, 1971 and 1972; and what is the estimated total for 1973 and 1974.

Mr. Anthony Grant

The information, which is available by financial years, is as follows:

Regional Aid £m. Other Aid to Industry £m.
1970–71 Outturn 49.4 761.6
1971–72 Provisional Outturn 40.0 676.3
1972–73 Estimate 101.4 597.9
1973–74 Estimate 314.6 524.2
1974–75 Estimate 297.6 419.7

Note: The definition of assistance to industry follows that in the Memorandum by the Department of Trade and Industry to the Trade and Industry Sub-Committee of the Expenditure Committee published at Appendix 20 to Volume III of the Sixth Report from the Expenditure Committee (H. of C. Paper 347 II). In addition to assistance under the Industry Act 1972 and the Local Employment Acts it includes investment grants, expenditure by the Industrial Research Establishments and Research Association expenditure in support of particular industrial projects (mainly in the field of civil aerospace), investments made by the Industrial Re-organisation Corporation, loans and grants to the NRDC and a wide variety of other measures of support such as technical information services, standards, export promotion, etc. It excludes the direct procurement contracts by or on behalf of the Government (e.g., in the defence field). All figures are net of receipts and repayments. Regional assistance includes expenditure under the Local Employment Acts, regional development grants and assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972

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