HC Deb 16 February 1976 vol 905 cc498-500W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of to State for Industry what amounts have been received under the Industry Act 1972 by Wales and by each of the English regions up to 31st March 1975.

Mr. Gregor Mackenzie

The information is as follows:

£ million
Wales 60.6
East-Anglia 0.7
South-East 17.8
South-West 9.9
West Midland 11.5
East Midland 5.5
Yorkshire and Humberside 26.0*
North-West 90.7
Northern 143.7
* Including £1 million shipbuilding construction grants omitted in error from the answer given on 29th January.—[Vol. 904, c. 335.]

Mr. David Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will up-date table 1 in the article "Annual Expenditure on Special Regional assistance to Industry in Great Britain 1960–61 to 1972–73" in the Economic Journal for December 1975, page 885, by giving estimates for 1973–74 and 1974–75; and whether he is satisfied that the figures given in the table for earlier years are accurate.

Mr. Gregor Mackenzie

The figures in the table referred to are correctly quoted, except that I have not been able to establish the basis on which that for expenditure in 1972–73 under the Industry Act 1972 was prepared. The correct figure should be £17.961 million. Comparable figures for 1973–74 and 1974–75 are as follows:

£000
Local Employment Act Other Assistance
Under Section 4 of the 1960 Act
Fiscal year Government Factory Building Loans Grants Operational Grants Building Grants Plant and Machinery Grants Free Depreciation Investment Grants Selective employment tax additional payments Regional employment premium Mainly recoverable expenditure Mainly non-recoverable expenditure Total expenditure Total Expenditure (1970 Prices)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)* (10) (11) (12)† (13)‡ (14) (15)
1973–74 12,752 8,207 897 5,320 33,824 — — 29,534 300 106,800 20,959 176,675 341,733§ 247,633
1974–75 19,203 364 628 4,268 17,578 — — 15,473 — 155,700 19,567 193,647 506,677║ 305,227
* The investment grant was calculated on the same basis as the figures quoted in table 1 of the article "Annual Expenditure on Special Regional Assistance to Industry in Great Britain 1960–61 to 1972–73" published in the Economic Journal for December 1975, i.e., 50 per cent. of the development area rate.
† Columns (2), (3) and (8).
‡ Columns (4), (5), (6), (7), (9) (10) and (11).
§ Including regional assistance under the Industry Act 1972 (£144.099 million).
║ Including regional assistance under the Industry Act 1972 (£293.463 million).