§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the companies in the Province in receipt of financial assistance from the State, specifying those in which the State has more than 25 per cent. ownership and showing the precise percentage of ownership.
§ Mr. Adam ButlerMy hon. Friend will know that: as at 7 March 1980 agreements for selective financial assistance were in force between the Government and over 300 companies in Northern Ireland. Since then a further 17 companies have entered into such agreements with the Department of Commerce under the Industries Development Acts (Northern Ireland) 1966 and 1971. Also, in the financial year ending 31 March 1980, the latest for which there are records, some 1,011 received standard capital grant assistance under the Industrial Investment (General Assistance) Act (Northern Ireland) 1966.
As announced by the then Under-Secretary of State in a reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Proctor) on 17 December 1980, it is the Government's intention to publish quarterly the details of financial assistance provided to companies in Northern Ireland in British Business. I expect to publish the first such information shortly.
Companies in which the Department of Commerce or the Local Enterprise Development Unit has 25 per cent. or more of the ownership are as follows*
Company Percentage Ownership held by Department of Commerce Harland and Wolff Ltd.† 100 Short Brothers Ltd.† ║91 Irlandus Circuits Ltd. 40 Princes Development Co. Ltd.‡ 75 Ben Sherman (1975) Ltd.‡ 100
Company Percentage Ownership held by Local Enterprise Development Unit West Ulster Studio Industries Ltd. 47.7 Turton's Stationery Ltd. 33.5 * Companies which are in receivership, liquidation or are no longer trading have been excluded. † Assistance provided under the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries (Northern Ireland) Order 1979. ‡ Not currently in receipt of financial assistance from the Department of Commerce. ║ Balance held by Department of Industry. Details of companies in which the Northern Ireland Development Agency is a shareholder are published in the agency's annual reports and accounts, which are available in the Library.