§ Mr. RaffanTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has reached a decision on the future of the DRIVE grant scheme; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe evaluation of the DRIVE grant scheme has demonstrated that the scheme has made a positive contribution to overcoming the problems of rural Wales. I have therefore decided that the scheme will be re-introduced from 1 September and will continue to be operated by the Development Board for Rural Wales and the Welsh Development Agency. The relaunched scheme will be competitive and will have the aim of increasing private sector investment on economic projects which create jobs and help to overcome deprivation in rural Wales. The scheme is expected to run until 1994–95 with up to £5 million of grant assistance available, and the scheme has the potential to generate more than £20 million of private sector investment and create over 1,000 jobs.