§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will tabulate the types of grants available to (a) manufacturing industry and (b) the service sector, together, in each instance, with the levels of such grant.
§ Mr. ButcherThe very wide range of support measures available is detailed in the British Business Guide to Industrial Support, Spring 1983, a copy of which is in the library.
The principal measures of support to manufacturing industry are as follows:
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Measure Level of Grant 1. Support for Innovation (facility for research and development projects) Up to 33⅓ per cent. Exceptionally, under a shared cost contract, the Department of Industry will contribute 50 per cent, of qualifying costs, recoverable by a levy on commercial sales. 2. Section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 (assistance towards investment projects with particular economic benefits) Negotiated as the minimum necessary for a project to proceed.
Measure Level of Grant 3. Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 (regional selective assistance) Negotiated as the minimum necessary for a project to proceed. 4. Regional Development Grants 22 per cent. in special development areas. 15 per cent, in development areas. The service sector is eligible in principle for assistance towards qualifying costs under all these measures. However, the principal measure of support to the service sector is the office and service industries scheme—OSIS —for projects in assisted areas. Grant is based on the number of jobs a project is expected to create and is negotiable within the following maxima.
per job £ Special development area 8,000 Development area 5,000 Intermediate area 2,500