§ Mr. George Rodgersasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will pub- 834W lish figures showing the amount of financial aid provided by his Department to the North-West region during each of the last eight years for which figures are available.
Mr. Alan WilliamsFigures covering the last eight years are not readily available, but the investment grant scheme was abolished with effect from October 1970 and regional development grants were not introduced until after the passage of the Industry Act 1972. Not all of my Department's expenditure is analysed by region but expenditures in the North-West region of England for the last six years on regional development grant, the provision of land and buildings, selective assistance to industry in assisted areas, residual expenditure under repealed sections of the Local Employment Act 1972, the National Enterprise Board, selective assistance to individual industries, firms and undertakings, assistance to the shipbuilding industry and other support services were approximately as follows in outturn prices for the year concerned: —
£ million 1972–73 … … 9 1973–74 … … 32 1974–75 … … 61 1975–76 … … 77 1976–77 … … 77 1977–78 … … 71