§ 41. Mr. HindTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies announced inward investment projects in the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available; and which regions benefited the most.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggAccording to the latest figures readily available to the Invest in Britain Bureau, on a regional basis as distinct from a national total, 330 inward investment decisions were made during 1988 to locate in the United Kingdom. These include the establishment of a new business, expansion or acquisition of an existing business and involvement in joint venture. The projects were expected to create about 27,500 new jobs and to have safeguarded a further 18,000. The figures are based on information provided by the companies themselves at the time of the investment and do not take into account subsequent developments. The table lists the details of the number of projects and jobs on a regional basis:
Region Projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Scotland 58 5,392 1,978 Wales 55 5,856 2,085 Northern Ireland 22 2,610 916 North East 22 2,041 31 North West 24 1,604 3,169 Yorkshire and Humberside 14 1,507 250 East Midlands 16 836 880 West Midlands 66 3,656 7,824 South East 45 2,240 983 South West 5 479 0