Mr. Alan WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what, at 1988 prices, has been the level of Government subvention to the Welsh Development Agency in each year since its establishment.
§ Mr. Peter Walker[holding answer 18 January 1988]: The mainstream subvention to the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) at 1987–88 prices is as follows:
£ million 1976–77 24.0 1977–78 52.5 1978–79 46.7 1979–80 36.3 1980–81 63.4 1981–82 57.6 1982–83 52.9 1983–84 46.0 1984–85 46.7 1985–86 35.7 1986–87 36.7 1987–88 budget 46.4 1988–89 plan 62.0 Special provision of about £120 million was also made available to the WDA to tackle the needs of Wales arising from the steel closure. The annual additional expenditure was as follows:
£ million Cash 1987–88 prices 1978–79 15.5 31.4 1979–80 27.5 47.7 1980–81 22.3 32.6 1981–82 33.2 44.9 1982–83 13.8 17.2 1983–84 5.6 6.7 Direct subvention is only part of what the Government make it possible for the WDA to spend. The agency's budget is enhanced by capital and current receipts, mainly from the factory rents and sales. It is the combination of direct subvention and the use of receipts that provides the important figure of how much the Government approve for the WDA to spend each year.
The gross mainstream expenditure is as follows:
613W
£ million Cash 1987–88 1976–77 22.8 58.3 1977–78 33.3 74.8 1978–79 36.7 74.5 1979–80 35.1 60.9 1980–81 65.7 96.2 1981–82 54.4 72.5 1982–83 62.4 77.6 1983–84 61.9 73.6 1984–85 74.7 85.1 1985–86 66.7 71.6 1986–87 72.9 76.0 1987–88 86.5 86.5 1988–89 113.0 108.1