§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost of the Local Enterprise Development Unit in each year since its inception; how many new businesses with how many new jobs have been established as a result; how many of these jobs are the result of expansion in existing businesses; and if he will give these details for each region.
§ Mr. Adam ButlerThe cost to the Local Enterprise Development Unit in each year since its inception of providing assistance to industry, and the administrative overheads of the unit for the same years are as follows:
Year North South West East Total Projects Jobs Projects Jobs Projects Jobs Projects Jobs Projects Jobs 1971–72 10 114 18 184 14 186 18 176 80 660 1972–73 15 203 27 332 26 259 27 372 95 1,166 1973–74 13 211 32 576 19 233 40 594 104 1,614 1974–75 19 305 23 350 24 306 12 169 78 1,130 1975–76 12 171 16 149 20 272 13 197 61 789 1976–77 18 268 21 150 25 224 35 301 97 943 1977–78 23 288 22 310 21 275 28 166 94 1,212 1978–79 17 219 26 318 22 166 56 582 121 1,285 1979–80 25 205 32 374 20 252 51 486 128 1,317 1980–81 19 184 20 205 18 219 64 447 121 1,055 A breakdown of jobs promoted between newly established businesses and expansions of existing businesses could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The term "jobs promoted" is defined as the number of jobs which a company undertakes to create over a period of years in return for a promise of a given amount of selective financial assistance from Government normally phased over the same period.