§ Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will lower the ground rents demanded by his Department on the Kennedy Way industrial estate.
§ Mr. Concannon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 792], gave the following information:
Site rents for the Kennedy Way industrial estate are assessed by the commissioner of valuation having regard to the 167W prevailing level of ground rents in the area; this is in line with Government practice throughout the United Kingdom and I do not propose to depart from it. Firms receiving selective financial assistance may in some cases have their rents abated by the Department of Commerce as part of an overall industrial assistance package.
§ Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the maximum ground rent demanded by his Department for one acre of land on the Kennedy Way estate in West Belfast.
§ Mr. Concannon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 793], gave the following information:
The maximum ground rent demanded by the Department of Commerce for one acre of land on the Kennedy Way estate in West Belfast is £4,000 per annum. The rent has been assessed by the commissioner of valuation.
§ Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the maximum ground rent received by his Department for one acre of ground on the Musgrave industrial estate in Belfast.
§ Mr. Concannon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 793], gave the following information:
The maximum ground rent received by the Department of Commerce for one acre of ground on the Musgrave Park industrial estate in Belfast is £4,000 per annum. The rent has been assessed by the commissioner of valuation.
§ Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, in an attempt to attract industrial investment to the socially deprived areas of West Belfast, he will consider letting industrial sites on Government owned ground at nominal ground rents.
§ Mr. Concannon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 793], gave the following information:
I do not propose to alter the levels of ground rent chargeable for Government sites in West Belfast. There is no evidence that to do so would materially affect the attraction of investment to the area where the most generous levels of selective financial assistance are already available. Where appropriate in indi- 168W vidual cases, the Department of Commerce is able to abate the rents of firms receiving selective financial assistance.