HC Deb 29 July 1988 vol 138 cc635-8W
Mr. Trotter

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those schemes for which his Department is responsible which are aimed at industrial support and or job creation in the northern region, showing the annual cost in each case.

Mr. Atkins

Those schemes which were open for application during 1987–88 (the latest year for which figures are available), for which my Department was responsible and which were aimed at industrial support and/or job creation, are listed as follows. A regional analysis of expenditure for these schemes is not always available; accordingly, the list of schemes is divided into those for which information is available and other.

Schemes for which expenditure in the northern region is available:

£ million
Old regional development grant 29.0
Revised regional development grant 33.6
Regional selective assistance 24.9
Microelectronics support scheme less than 0.1
Fibre optics scheme Nil
Advanced manufacturing technology scheme Nil
Support for major projects Nil

In addition, capital expenditure by English Estates on behalf of the Department in the northern region was £21.7 million.

Schemes for which no regional analysis is available:

  • Business improvement scheme.
  • Exchange risk guarantee scheme.
  • Certification schemes.

Crude balances in manufactures
United Kingdom trade with: US $ million
Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark France Fed. Rep. Germany Greece Ireland Italy Netherlands Portugal Spain
1958 -39 -114 -35 60 -40 -146 -49 -89 -44 -40
1969 271 220 127 -272 111 333 49 63 38 190
1977 558 459 -482 -2,322 286 894 -677 497 178 293
1987 -866 -94 -1,903 -12,220 249 800 -2,548 -1,833 -161 410
19881 -1,021 -135 -2,045 -14,696 249 716 -3,197 -3,387 -110 124
1January to May (annual rate).

Federal Republic of Germany trade with:
Belgium/ Luxembourg Denmark France United Kingdom Greece Ireland Italy Netherlands Portugal Spain
1969 118 -150 1,269 268 225 76 77 1,090 166 395
1977 1,082 -718 3,441 2,284 532 71 -1,140 4,320 400 870

Nominal exchange rate Relative export prices11975=100
Deutschmark/£
1969 9.38 89
1975 5.45 100
1977 4.05 99
1987 2.94 84
1988 (Q1) 3.01 80
(Q2) 3.14
1The export unit value index for manufactures for Germany divided by that for the United Kingdom, both expressed in a common currency.

Sources:OECD, Overseas Trade Statistic, IMF.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in theOfficial Report for each year since 1970 the index of the volume of (a) West German and (b) United Kingdom exports of manufactures and finished manufactures to the EEC.

Mr. Alan Clark

This information is not available.

Constant price data are available only at the level of total trade or by commodity. Geographical analyses in volume terms of individual countries' trade are not available.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the deficit on trade with the EEC in manufactures less precious stones in the first five months of 1988 and in 1970 after taking into account the change in import and export unit values.

Support for the private sector shipbuilding industry.

In addition, to the foregoing, and as part of the enterprise initiative announced earlier this year, my Department is now also responsible for assistance to exceptional projects and regional enterprise grants.

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