§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has approved any plans by the English Industrial Estates Corporation for further public investment in the assisted areas of England over the next year.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI have approved provisional proposals by the chairman of the English Industrial Estates Corporation for further industrial and commercial developments in the assisted areas of England using the £34.3 million that the Government have agreed to make available to the corporation in the current financial year. The corporation will, as before, be required to make every effort to reduce the net costs of this programme to the Exchequer by selling off existing assets at current market values and placing the proceeds in the Consolidated Fund.
This level of finance will be equivalent to 159,000 square metres of factory space which could provide places of work for about 4,000 workers. The sum includes £4.6 million which is part of the £19 million special allocation for steel closure areas which was announced on 19 June 1980; but it does not include any private sector investment of which £30 million has been promised so far with £11.5 million spent to date, and any further sums which the English Industrial Estates Corporation may attract.
The provisional allocations of resources are as follows:
314W
English Industrial Estates Corporation 1982–83 planned resources allocation Region and TTWA £'000 Notional equivalent area of factory floor-space m2 North West Wigan 969 4,500 Liverpool 6,674 31,000 Birkenhead 2,368 11,000 St. Helens 646 3,000 Southport 323 1,500 Widnes 861 4,000 Blackpool 215 1,000 Lancaster 108 500 Whitehaven 215 1,000 Workington 538 2,500 Total North West 12,917 60,000
Region and TTWA £'000 Notional equivalent area of factory floor-space m2 North East Morpeth 215 1,000 North Tyne 430 2,000 South Tyne 1,722 8,000 Wearside 1,722 8,000 Teeside 3,014 14,000 Consett* 2,760 12,800 Hartlepool 861 4,000 Darlington/SW Durham 215 1,000 Central Durham 108 500 Total North East 11,047 51,300 Yorkshire and Humberside Scarborough 108 500 Whitby 108 500 Bridlington 108 500 Scunthorpe* 1,840 8,550 Goole 108 500 Grimsby 215 1,000 Hull 1,292 6,000 Barnsley 431 2,000 Doncaster 969 4,500 Maltby 108 500 Mexborough 646 3,000 Rotherham 753 3,500 Bradford 1,076 5,000 Total Yorkshire and Humberside 7,762 36,050 South West Liskeard 108 500 Redruth 108 500 Falmouth 215 1,000 Helston 215 1,000 Launceston 108 500 Newquay 108 500 Penzance 108 500 Plymouth 861 4,000 Torbay 322 1,500 Ilfracombe 108 500 Total South West 2,261 10,500 East Midlands Gainsborough 108 500 Mablethorpe 108 500 Skegness 108 500 Total East Midlands 324 1,500 Grand total all regions 34,311 159,350 * Steel closure areas. Detailed announcements about specific projects will be made by the corporation as appropriate.