§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give(a) the total number of applications for investment grants and innovation grants from 1 April 1988 to 30 September 1989, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure planned for 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92 in cash and constant prices for each of his Department's regions.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 30 October 1989]: Regional enterprise grants (REGs) became available on 1 April 1988 in the development areas and on 1 September 1988 in South Yorkshire. The information requested, for the English regions for which the DTI is responsible, for 1 April 1988 to 30 September 1989 is as follows:
Number of applications Number of offers Value of offers £000 North East 968 692 4,880 North West 857 502 4,240 Yorkshire and Humberside 516 320 3,289 East Midlands 78 56 612 South West 279 197 1,191 Total England 2,698 1,767 14,212 "Total expenditure for regional enterprise grants in 1988–89 was £0.9m (£0.95 million at estimated constant 1989–90 prices).
The provision for investment and innovation grants as published in the June revised supply estimates, for 1989–90 is £27.6m.
Plans for future years will be reflected in the 1990 public expenditure White Paper.
The amount of expenditure which will be paid out in any particular area will depend on demand for the scheme and the appraisal of individual applications."