HC Deb 31 January 1984 vol 53 cc205-6W
Mr. Gareth Wardell

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the number of persons employed in Welsh Development Agency factories for each year since 1976.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

I shall reply to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

Mr. Gareth Wardell

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report, for each year since 1976, the percentage of lettable floorspace that was unoccupied in Welsh Development Agency factories.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

Information on the percentage of lettable floorspace unoccupied in Welsh Development Agency factories is available on a consistent basis only since 1979. The figures for each year since then are as follows:

Date Percentage of unoccupied tenable floor-space
31 March 1979 1
31 March 1980 2
31 March 1981 6.5
31 March 1982 15.2
31 March 1983 14.8
31 December 1983 13.6

The increase in the percentage of unoccupied floorspace in recent years reflects to a considerable extent the additional space made available in the special programmes for the steel closure areas.