§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the uptake of capital grants for local enterprise development unit-sized companies; and if he will make it his policy to maintain the present levels of such grants for such companies.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 14 February 1985, c. 270]: I estimate that some 40 per cent, by value of payments under the Standard capital grants scheme in 1983–84 were made to companies with fewer than 50 employees. The value of these payments was £16 million. In addition, capital and other grants are available on a selective basis from the local enterprise development unit; in 1983–84 the total value of these grants was £9.4 million.
I am conscious of the importance of maintaining a simple and predictable scheme of assistance with capital costs, particularly for smaller companies. This has been an important consideration in our review of the standard capital grants scheme, the outcome of which I hope to announce soon.