§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the review of the scheme for providing grants for mineral exploration under the Mineral Exploration and Investment Grants Act 1972.
§ Mr. TrippierThis review has now been completed, taking into account the wider review of the Department's 139W support for industrial research and development whose conclusions were announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 25 March. The central conclusion of the wider review is that the balance of the Department's support should shift away from assistance to projects for individual companies and towards measures promoting widespread benefits across industry.
In line with this conclusion and the planned decrease in real terms in our support for industrial research and development, it has been decided that no further offers of assistance will be made under the mineral exploration grants scheme, which is being brought to an end. Grants in respect of projects for which offers have already been made will be payable under the Act over the next year or so, as claims are received for projects completed.