§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (a) the Government support programmes or finance available to rural development areas and (b) the basic services that his Department treats as necessary for assessing grants to rural development areas.
§ Mr. Moynihan(a) Government support and finance specifically available in rural development areas is channelled through the Development Commission which provides the following main programmes of support:
- 1. 100 per cent. financed advance factory building programme;
- 2. 50 per cent. financed factory building programme in partnership with local authorities;
- 3. 25 per cent. grants to the private sector for redundant building conversions;
- 4. technical, managerial and business advice to small firms and the provision of loans;
- 5. grants to help the establishment of local enterprise agencies;
- 6. grant aid for rural tourism projects;
- 7. grant aid towards special projects where there are clear employment benefits;
- 8. grants towards community development projects.
In addition grants offered by other bodies may be available in rural development areas.
(b)Requests for grants are considered on their merits through the rural development programmes which are drawn up for each rural development area.