§ Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what financial assistance has been granted to firms in the electronics industry under Sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972; and which firms have received such assistance;
(2) what financial assistance has been received by the electronics industry under the eccelerated projects scheme.
§ Mr. Cryer, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20th May 1977; Vol. 932, c. 318], gave the following information:
Under Section 7 of the 1972 Industry Act assistance totalling nearly £41 million has been provided. Under Section 8 the corresponding figure is £5 million and one offer of £250,000 has been made under the accelerated projects scheme against which no payments have yet taken place.
No assistance has yet been provided under the electronic components industry scheme. But there has been an encouraging response to the scheme and some 30 applications seeking assistance of some £4 million are under consideration.
There would be disproportionate cost in providing details of payments to individual firms since the Act came into force, but offers to individual companies under Sections 7 and 8 of the Act are published 366W in Trade and Industry in accordance with the arrangements notified to the House on 31st July 1974.