Assistance to Industry (Cost) (Hansard, 29 April 1980)

§ Mr. Wigley
asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the expenditure incurred by his Department in the financial years in 1974–75 to 1978–79, inclusive, both total and per head of population, on the main forms of regional preferential assistance to industry and on national

Expenditure

Year Northern Region £ million Per head of population £ Wales £ million Per head of population £

1974–75 … … 62.1^* 19.8^* 46.6 16.9

1975–76 … … 116.7 37.3 67.4 24.4

1976–77 … … 171.8 55.0 76.5 27.6

1977–78 … … 1540 49.4 89.1 32.2

1978–79 … … 163.9 52.9 107.7 38.9

^* The 1974–75 figures for the Northern Region exclude expenditure on land and factories. They are therefore not comparable either with the corresponding figures for Wales for the year, or to figure-for the later years.

This includes expenditure on regional development grants, selective financial assistance under sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972, and on land and factories. Since 1 July 1975 regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 to firms in Wales has been the responsibility of the Welsh Office, and since 1 January 1976 factories there have been built by the Welsh Development Agency. Expenditure under section
478W
waiting time between committal and trial in 1979; how this compares with the figures for each year since 1970; and if he will give the regional breakdown in each year.

The Solicitor-General
The average waiting time in 1979 in England and Wales between committal and trial was 174 weeks. The table below sets out the further information requested for the years 1972 to 1979. No comparable figures are available for 1970 and 1971.
schemes of assistance under section 8 of the Industry Act 1972, in Wales and the Northern region of England, respectively.

§ Mr. David Mitchell
Expenditure total and per head of population in the years specified on the main forms of regional preferential assistance to industry and on national schemes of assistance under section 8 of the Industry Act 1972, in Wales and in the Northern Region of England respectively, is estimated as follows:
8 of the Industry Act 1972 excludes payments made to individual firms and payments made under the offshore supplies interest relief grant scheme, as it is not always possible to allocate payments made in these cases to specific regions or areas. Expenditure under section 7 of the Act excludes the following payments to the Ford Motor Company which were shared between the North-Western region 479W of England and Wales but which cannot be allocated specifically:

(£m)

1977–78 4.3

1978–79 520

All figures are at outturn prices. They are gross and include payments to the nationalised industries of regional development grants and selective financial assistance.
Aside from expenditure on land and factories, there is no pre-determined allocation of regional preferential expenditure between separate areas or regions. Expenditure under such schemes depends, therefore, on the level of applications from eligible firms within the areas or regions concerned.

			Expenditure
Year	Northern Region £ million	Per head of population £	Wales £ million	Per head of population £
1974–75	…	…	62.1^*	19.8^*	46.6	16.9
1975–76	…	…	116.7	37.3	67.4	24.4
1976–77	…	…	171.8	55.0	76.5	27.6
1977–78	…	…	1540	49.4	89.1	32.2
1978–79	…	…	163.9	52.9	107.7	38.9
^* The 1974–75 figures for the Northern Region exclude expenditure on land and factories. They are therefore not comparable either with the corresponding figures for Wales for the year, or to figure-for the later years.