§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how the operation of selective grants for industrial development will benefit areas without assisted area status.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerRegional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 is not available outside the assisted areas. Many measures administered by the development agencies and the Wales Tourist Board, most of them selective in nature, are available, however, to support industrial and commercial projects in the unassisted areas, where about 11 per cent. of the economically active population live and work.
These include Mid Wales Development grant, DRIVE, rural building conversion grants, the new business development grant administered by WDA and MWD, capital grants and assistance for joint marketing schemes from the Wales Tourist Board, subsidised and small rural loans, equity capital, business and technology-oriented advice, assistance under the Welsh food initiative, advance and bespoke factories and derelict land and environmental improvement grants.
In addition, depending on their precise location certain projects could also be eligible for assistance under the Department's urban programme and urban development grant schemes and the Welsh Development Agency's recently announced property development grant.