§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Industry how many successful applications there have been within the support for innovation scheme; and what were the respective manufacturing sectors.
§ Mr. ButcherSince the inception of support for innovation in May 1982 through the merger of the product and process development scheme with the research and development support available from the Department's R and D requirements boards and the various special schemes promoting new technologies, 502 offers of support, amounting to £40 million have been made towards R and D projects.
Of these 502 projects supported approximately 20 per cent. were for R and D projects in the mechanical and electrical engineering industries, 7 per cent. in the automation instrumentation and control industries, 6 per 237W cent. in the electronics, computer and telecommunications industries and 12 per cent. to the chemicals, textiles, footwear and paper industries, 30 per cent. were for microelectronics applications in all sectors, 9 per cent. for robotics and 8 per cent. for software product development.
In addition to assistance in R and D projects support is also available within the general scope of support for innovation for other activities such as consultancy, technical enquiries, training and awareness, demonstrations and so on, but it is not possible, without disproportionate cost, to produce comprehensive information on the numbers of applicants who benefited from this support.
Grants paid by Department of Industry: £'000 Yorkshire and Humberside Grant per head of population Scotland Grant per head of population Wales Grant per head of population £ £ £ 1972–73* 842 .17 6,169 1.18 905 .33 1973–74 4,609 .94 37,416 7.18 15,313 5.57 1974–75 11,460 2.34 65,342 12.52 32,218 11.68 1975–76 18,071 3.69 99,404 19.09 47,052 17.01 1976–77† 23,515 4.81 108,195 20.79 62, 359 22.53 1977–78‡ 31,200 6.40 105,006 20.21 70,400 25.43 1978–79 46,200 9.47 107,344 20.72 71,500 25.77 1979–80 39,800 8.15 70,168 13.58 50,663 18.26 1980–81 53,000 10.85 113,265 21.98 103,475 37.26 1981–82 61,800 12.65 142,739 27.70 122,171 43.99 * The figures for years 1972–73 to 1975–76 comprise regional development grant paid under Part I of the Industry Act 1972 and shipbuilding grants paid under Part III of the Act.
† The figures for year 1976–77 comprise regional development grant only. (Figures for the years prior to 1977–78 for selective financial assistance are expressed in terms of offers made and are not available in grant paid form.)
‡ The figures for years 1977–78 to 1981–82 comprise regional development grant and selective financial assistance (under Part II of the Industry Act 1972) for Yorkshire and Humberside; and regional development grant only for Scotland and Wales, responsibility for selective financial assistance in Scotland and Wales having been transferred to their respective Secretaries of State with effect from 1 July 1975.