§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has taken steps to ensure that financial assistance offered by the French Government to the Ford motor company to induce that company to site a new assembly plant in Lorraine does not exceed agreed EEC guidelines.
EXPENDITURE ON REGIONAL PREFERENTIAL ASSISTANCE TO INDUSTRY IN MERSEYSIDE SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT AREA 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78* Total expenditure £43 million £66 million £79 million £80 million £44 million Per head of population £25.7 £39.6 £47.7 £48.3 £26.0 Notes: All figures are gross and include payments to nationalised industries. The major items of expenditure included are regional development grants, selective regional assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act, Local Employment Act assistance, regional employment premium (discontinued in January 1977) and investment grant differential (estimated). Aside from expenditure on land and factories there is no predetermined allocation of resources between separate areas or regions. Expenditure depends therefore on the level of applications from eligible firms within the areas or regions concerned. * The figure for 1977–78 does not include any payments of regional employment premium which was discontinued in January 1977 as it was no longer felt to be effective. The figure for that year is therefore not directly comparable with the earlier years.