§ Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish the cost to public funds of all forms of regional assistance to special development areas, development areas, intermediate areas and derelict land clearance areas, respectively, for each of the years from 1964 to 1976, inclusive; if he will express this per head of the
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REGIONAL PREFERENTIAL EXPENDITURE—ESTIMATED BREAKDOWN 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 Northern Development Area— Total Expenditure (£m.) … … 78 66 92 122 185 Per capita (£) … … 23.1 19.1 27.3 36.2 54.9 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 6.0 5.8 4.4 4.8 6.6 North-West Region— Total Expenditure (£m.) … … 49 40 53 89 107 Per capita (£) … … 7.5 6.1 8.1 13.6 16.3 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 4.3 4.7 3.4 3.8 6.2 of which: Merseyside Total expenditure (£m.) … … 41 34 43 66 79 Per capita (£) … … 24.2 20.1 25.7 39.6 47.7 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 6.3 7.2 5.8 6.3 9.5 South-West Assisted Area— Total expenditure (£m.) … … 6 5 7 11 11 Per capita (£) … … 7.1 5.9 8.3 13.0 13.0 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 4.8 4.2 3.3 4.1 7.6 Yorkshire and Humberside Intermediate Area— Total expenditure (£m.) … … 3 2 10 16 23 Per capita (£) … … 0.6 0.4 2.3 3.4 4.9 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 4.2 3.9 2.7 2.8 4.7 East Midlands Intermediate Area— Total expenditure (£m.) … … — 0.8 1.8 3.6 2.5 Per capita (£) … … — 1.2 2.7 5.4 3.8 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … — 3.9 2.8 3.1 4.8 West Midlands— Total expenditure (£m.) … … — — 0.4 1.2 0.5 Per capita (£) … … — — 9.1 27.3 11.6 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … — — 2.5 3.5 6.4 Scotland— Total expenditure (£m.) … … 87.2 85.2 108.6 146.3 228.0 Per capita (£) … … 16.7 16.4 20.9 28.1 43.8 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 6.3 6.1 4.2 4.2 5.9 Wales— Total expenditure (£m.) … … 44.7 53.6 65.7 81.5 104.0 Per capita (£) … … 16.2 19.4 23.8 29.5 37.6 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 4.8 4.6 3.4 4.0 6.6 Great Britain Assisted Areas*— Total expenditure (£m.) … … 268.5 254.1 339.7 473.4 669.4 Per capita (£) … … 11.1 10.5 14.1 19.6 27.8 Unemployment rate (per cent.) … … 3.6 3.3 2.4 2.7 4.6 population, and if he will state the average percentage level of unemployment in the respective areas for each of the years in question.
§ Mr. CryerI regret that the information is not available in the form requested. Expenditure on regional preferential assistance to industry at current prices for the financial years 1971–72 to 1975–7 is estimated as follows. All the figures are gross and include payments to nationalised industries. The major items included are regional development grants, selective financial assistance under Section 7 of the Industry Act 1972, Local Employment Act assistance, regional employment premium and the investment grant differential (estimated) in favour of the assisted areas.
* Includes some items which cannot be broken down below the national level.