§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is able to state the British firms, and their location, which take a significant stake in the industrial and service market made available by NCB activities in coal mining.
§ Mr. EadieI have been asked to reply.
The National Coal Board place contracts for a wide range of equipment and services with a large number of firms throughout the country. Widely defined, the UK mining machinery manufacturing 534W total amount of regional aid made available to Wales in each of the years 1950 to 1976.
Mr. Alan WilliamsI regret that the cost of extracting the full information requested would be disproportionate. Expenditure on regional preferential expenditure in Scotland and Wales for the financial years 1970–71 to 1975–76 is estimated as follows:
industry comprises some 80 principal suppliers, with a total estimated output in 1975 of £300 millions.