§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report a synopsis of the work to be carried out by a study group of the Wales TUC investigating co-operatives for which his Department has made a grant of £45,000, itemising the number of persons to be involved, the hours of work which the survey receiving this grant is expected to take and the extent of travelling and other expenses to which the grant is related.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe study group set up by the Wales TUC is to examine the potential contribution of co-operative enterprises in solving the problems of unemployment in Wales and analyse the feasibility of setting up a resource centre to support the development of co-operatives in Wales. Three researchers will work on the project for an estimated 1,280 hours.
My Department has offered a grant of £40,000 towards the cost of this research programme in order to allow the study to proceed as quickly as possible. There will be an agreed programme of work, interim reports and a final report within three months of the end of the study. An additional £5,000 is being made available by the Welsh Development Agency. The Wales TUC estimate the costs of travel and other expenses to be made within the total grants of £45,000 to be £9,800.