§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and industry if he will state in relation to the software products scheme (a) how much has been spent on this scheme since its inception, (b) how many different projects have been assisted under the scheme, (c) what has been the average delay between the submission of an application and a decision being taken and (d) what charges have been made by those who have administered the scheme on behalf of his Department as a percentage of (a).
§ Mr. ButcherThe information is as follows:
- (a) to date £46 million has been made available for grants; £9 million in the first nine years to 1982, £10 million in the relaunch of 1982, £15 million in response to demand in 1983 and a further £12 million following a preliminary review in 1984, of which approximately half had been committed at the time of the moratorium;
- (b) there have been 322 grants awarded under the scheme, totally £40 million;
- (c) the current average delay between submission and a decision is 17 weeks; figures for average delay since the introduction of the scheme are not available and cannot be provided due to disproportionate costs;
- (d) administration charges by the National Computing Centre for the life of the scheme have been 4.75 per cent. of the total amount awarded.