§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the average time being taken between an application being made for financial assistance to a company and a decision being given under Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972.
§ Mr. CryerThe time between an application and a decision to offer assistance under Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972 varies widely according to the nature of the scheme, the scale and nature of the application, on the applicant's own ability to substantiate his case, and the number of applications under examination. The time ranges from five weeks upwards, but only in special circumstances does it greatly exceed 20 weeks. For most unsuccessful applications the time scale is much shorter.