§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total amount of grants, loans and other benefits received by firms in the Wythenshawe area, or the smallest convenient area of which Wythenshawe forms a part, in respect of (a) its status as an intermediate area and (b) other Industry Act powers for each of the years from 1972 to date; how many jobs were created thereby; how many jobs were safegarded; what was the number of firms involved; and what is his estimate of the effect on Government financial aid to this area of the policies he has recently announced.
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§ Mr. David MitchellThe following assistance has been made available under the Industry Act 1972 to firms located in the Wythenshawe employment office area:
SECTION 7 OFFERS OF REGIONAL SELECTIVE ASSISTANCE Year Number of firms Amount (£'000) 1972 … … — — 1973 … … 1 834 1974 … … 3 980 1975 … … 1 100 1976 … … 2 22 1977 … … — — 1978 … … 3 188
SECTION 8 OFFERS OF SELECTIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER INVESTMENT AND SECTORAL SCHEMES Year Number of firms Amount (£'000) 1972–76 … … — — 1977 … … 1 8 1978 … … 1 4 Whilst information is available on the estimated employment associated with projects supported under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972, the proportion of these projects which would have gone ahead without assistance is not known. Grants under section 8 of the Act are not directly linked to employment. Information on payment of regional development grant under Part I of the Act is not readily available for areas smaller than economic planning regions.
Under the Assisted Areas Order 1979, the Manchester travel to work area, including the Wythenshawe employment office area, will cease to be designated area from 1 August 1982. The practical effect of this and the other changes announced by my right hon. Friend on 17 July 1979 will be that regional development grant will cease to be paid on expenditure defrayed on or after 18 July and on assets provided on or after 1 August 1980; that regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 will cease to be available from 1 August 1982, and will in the meantime be granted only where it is necessary to enable the project to go go ahead; and that selective assistance under section 8 of the Act will continue to be available under the circumstances described by my right hon. Friend. The 610W quantitative effect of the changes in the administration of sections 7 and 8 of the Act cannot be estimated because it is not known what qualifying projects will come forward.