§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will specify with a greater degree of precision than "shortly" when he intends to let the Industry and Trade Committee know the main conclusions of Sir Derek Rayner's review of regional development grant administration.
§ Mr. David MitchellMy right hon. Friend wrote on 9 December to the Chairman of the Industry and Trade Committee about the main conclusions of the review.
§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the recommendations of Sir Derek Rayner's review of regional development grant administration now being implemented, as mentioned in the reply to the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Spence) on 27 November.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe recommendations, which are to be implemented mainly over the next two years, aim to achieve a more effective handling of applications and to reduce administration costs and the time taken to approve applications.
Among the recommendations on which an early start is being made are a redesign of the application form to help reduce errors by applicants and to overcome the need for some routine checks; redrafting of the conditions under which grant is paid; changes to procedures for setting off repayments of grant against further grant payments; cessation of checks which over time have proved to be unnecessary; the transfer of some work on grant recoveries from London to the grant offices; and reorganisation of staff training. A study is being undertaken of the scope for using computers in the grants offices, now planned for introduction in 1983. In addition, there will be a large number of changes to the procedures for examining grant applications to ensure that the depth of checking is appropriate to the circumstances of the case, changes to procedures for monitoring grant payments and the enforcement of conditions under which grant is paid, and changes in the way the work in the grants offices is organised.