§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of the type and level of grant assistance or tax relief available for the Neptune project; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryNo formal proposals for the project have been submitted to my right hon. Friend, whose approval would be required before it could proceed. Teesside, the Neptune location, has development area status, and is thus an area where regional selective assistance applies. No application for assistance has been received by the Department of Trade and Industry. It would be for that Department to determine the eligibility of the project for such assistance. The implications of any capital expenditure on the project for the tax positions of the companies concerned are a matter for the company and the Inland Revenue in each case.