HC Deb 14 November 1988 vol 140 cc403-5W
Mr. McLeish

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give(a) the total number of applications received for business development consulting costs from 1 April to the most recent date for which figures are available, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved

DTI region1/Country (a) Number of applications received (b) Number of applications approved for consultancy (c) DTI expenditure on completed consultancies (£'000) (d) Planned expenditure on outstanding consultancies (£'000)
North East 537 369 149 980
North West 1,641 1,177 628 2,974
Yorkshire and Humberside 991 653 364 1,634
West Midlands 1,051 653 394 1,604

Questions about the operation of RDG and RSA in Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide figures on regional selective assistance for(a) the total number of applications outstanding on 31 March, and the total number of applications received since April, (c) the number of those outstanding applications that have subsequently been processed, (d) the number of those applications where payment has been made, (e) the total amount of money paid out since 31 March in regional selective assistance and (f) the total estimated planned expenditure for that period and for 1988–89 for Wales and each of the standard regions.

Mr. Atkins

The information requested in respect of regional selective assistance industrial and training grants is as follows:

and (d) the total estimated planned expenditure for that period, for Scotland, Wales and for each of the standard regions.

Mr. Atkins

The business development consultancy initiatives were launched on 13 January 1988 with the introduction of the first four initiatives for design, quality, marketing and manufacturing systems. Two further initiatives—business planning and financial and information systems—were added on 29 March. In the period 1 April to 28 October a total of 10,333 applications were received for the six consultancy initiatives. In the same period 6,680 applications were approved for consultancy. The Department's contribution to the cost of completed consultancies totalled £3.03 million. It is estimated that those consultancies not completed by 28 October will cost the Department £17.41 million. A breakdown of numbers and cost for each DTI region1 and for Scotland and Wales is as follows:

DTI region1/Country (a) Number of applications received (b) Number of applications approved for consultancy (c) DTI expenditure on completed consultancies (£'000) (d) Planned expenditure on outstanding consultancies (£'000)
East Midlands 634 465 185 1,238
South West 1,026 549 176 1,504
South East:
Cambridge 707 440 134 1,212
London 1,112 649 309 1,677
Reading 585 374 121 1,023
Reigate 534 333 133 886
Scotland 848 580 303 1,472
Wales 667 438 137 1,203
Total 10,333 6,680 3,033 17,407
1 Data are collected for DTI regions and for Scotland and Wales. DTI regions are similar to standard economic regions except that DTI north-west includes Cumbria and the High Peak district which are in the north and east midlands standard economic regions respectively, and DTI south-east includes the East Anglia standard economic region.