HL Deb 03 April 1979 vol 399 cc1892-3WA
Lord HOUGHTON of SOWERBY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which firms in the tobacco industry have received grants or loans from State funds, and the amounts, the purpose and the authority for this expenditure of public money.

Lord LEONARD

Assistance offered or given to individual companies is, for the most part, commercially confidential and the full information requested by the noble Lord is not therefore available. However, under the provisions of the 1972 Industry Act, some details of assistance are, in certain circumstances, disclosed and the following information has already been published inTrade and Industry:

  1. (i) Offer of an interest relief grant amounting to £1.5 million to Carreras Rothmans for their cigarette factory at Darlington.
  2. (ii) Payment of a regional development grant of £1.833 million to Carreras Rothmans for their Darlington cigarette factory.
  3. (iii) Payment of a regional development grant amounting to £2.358 million to Imperials for their new smoking materials factory in Ayrshire.
  4. (iv) Payment of a regional development grant of £0.567 million to Imperials for their cigarette and cigar factory in Glasgow.
  5. (v) Payment of a regional development grant of £0.171 million to Imperials for their Liverpool pipe tobacco and cigarette factory.
  6. (vi) Payment of a regional development grant of £0.603 million to Imperials for their Newcastle cigarette factory.
  7. (vii) Payment of a regional development grant of £0.488 million to British American Tobacco for their cigarette and smoking tobacco factory in Liverpool.

No information is disclosed regarding assistance given under the Industries Development Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and 1971 and the Industrial Investment General Assistance Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and 1971.