§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his plans for assistance by Her Majesty's Government to regional organisations established to encourage inward investment.
§ Mr. AtkinsI have already notified the hon. Member about the proposed funding for 1988–89 for the regional668W development organisations. The information is available in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Page) on 11 March 1988 at columns 369–71. For future years, I can give no firm commitment on funding but can assure him that I shall continue to consider sympathetically requests for support for worthwhile inward investment promotion activities. Such funding will continue to depend on continued local support from the region's local authorities and private sector. Moreover, it is my intention that this local support should assume a greater share of the total funding of the regional development organisations so that my Department's share should be only 50 per cent. by and for the financial year 1991–92.