Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of (a) males, and (b) females employed as security personnel by businesses in the city of Londonderry on whom Government grants are paid towards the cost of their employment; what is the present estimated or actual cost in the latest available date per year; and what is the rate of grant paid.
§ Mr. ConcannonDuring the year ending 31st August 1976 grants totalling £117,000 were made under the security staff grants scheme against the wages
554Wbased on the Financial Statement and Budget Report of April 1976 and the last public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 6393). In 1975–76 expenditure on foreign aid was 0.8 per cent. of the total; little change is expected this year.
of 104 male security staff employed by businesses in the city of Londonderry. No applications were received in respect of female security staff. As I said in reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 22nd November—[Vol. 919, c 936–7]—the present rates of grant paid range from 50 per cent. to 75 per cent. of the cost of staff directly employed by businesses, subject to a maximum annual grant of £1,400 per employee.