§ Mr. Leeasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total additional investment of the 100 most important companies which he expects to result from his new budget measures; and what percentage of such investment he expects to benefit the export trade.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettIt is not feasible to predict how individual companies will react to the investment incentives and selective assistance offered by the Government. But I hope that, as well as taking account of the prospective fall in interest rates, our 100 largest companies will be amongst those making use of the Government's new Selective Investment Scheme, for which £100 million has been allocated. The amount of investment to be generated and the export potential are among the criteria on which projects are appraised for selective financial assistance.