HC Deb 30 October 1990 vol 178 cc435-8W
Dr. Bray

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to improve links between business and the academic community.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

[holding answer 29 October 1990]: My Department actively promotes links between business and academia by providing advice and financial support, and funding up to half the eligible costs of approved collaborative research projects between academic institutions and industry under schemes such as LINK, the advanced technology programmes, and general industrial collaborative projects.

We also support such links through the teaching company scheme which enables graduates to work in industry under joint supervision of a company and an academic; through the national electronics research initiative, which encourages secondment of employees to centres of research excellence at universities and Government research establishments; and through

Number of inward investment decisions: Regional breakdown
Scotland Wales Northern Ireland North East
Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs
1979 28 2,757 1 2,757 18 854 1 854 18 2,794 1 2,794 21 1,466 1 1,466
(15.3) (19.3) 1 (19.3) (9.8) (6.0) 1 (6.0) (9.8) (19.5) 1 (19.5) (11.5) (10.2) 1 (10.2)
1980 31 4,474 1 4,474 16 3,332 1 3,332 20 2,760 1 2,760 19 2,923 1 2,923
(20.0) (24.0) 1 (24.0) (10.3) (17.9) 1 (47.9) (12.9) (14.8) 1 (14.8) (12.3) (15.7) 1 (15.7)
1981 28 5,756 1 5,756 20 1,986 1 1,986 15 2,429 1 2,429 14 1,021 1 1,021
(21.0) (35.1) 1 (35.1) (15.0) (12.1) 1 (12.1) (11.3) (14.8) 1 (14.8) (10.5) (6.2) 1 (6.2)
1982 28 2,258 1 2,258 17 901 1 901 6 1,893 1 1,893 15 539 1 539
(21.0) (21.4) 1 (21.4) (12.8) (8.6) 1 (8.6) (4.5) (18.0) 1 (18.0) (11.3) (5.1) 1 (5.1)
1983 49 5,135 3,432 8,567 31 2,116 1,913 4,029 11 548 1,192 1,740 20 1,066 720 1,786
(20.8) (33.0) (22.5) (27.8) (13.1) (13.6) (12.5) (13.1) (4.7) (3.5) (7.8) (5.6) (8.5) (6.9) (4.7) (5.8)
1984 74 8,761 1,463 10,224 42 3,958 5,015 8,973 27 2,256 2,876 5,132 29 4,589 230 4,819
(22.6) (32.3) (7.6) (22.0) (12.8) (14.6) (26.0) (19.3) (8.2) (8.3) (14.9) (11.1) (8.8) (16.9) (1.2) (10.4)
1985 57 4,971 2,922 7,893 45 2,416 1,350 3,766 22 771 1,424 2,195 26 1,987 1,572 3,559
(15.2) (19.4) (15.6) (17.8) (12.0) (9.4) (7.2) (8.5) (5.9) (3.0) (7.6) (5.0) (6.9) (7.8) (8.4) (8.0)
1986 36 1,881 607 2,488 49 2,364 2,232 4,596 18 693 1,722 2,415 30 1,581 1,158 2,739
(10.6) (11.6) (5.6) (9.2) (14.5) (14.5) (20.7) (17.0) (5.3) (4.3) (16.0) (8.9) (8.8) (9.7) (10.8) (10.1)
1987 31 3,704 2,061 5,765 58 4,054 877 4,931 17 1,135 1,341 2,486 31 3,491 852 4,343
(9.5) (17.1) (10.2) (13.7) (17.8) (18.7) (4.3) (11.8) (5.2) (5.2) (6.6) (5.9) (9.5) (16.1) (4.2) (10.4)
1988 58 5,429 1,978 7,407 56 6,006 2,085 8,091 22 2,610 916 3,526 22 2,041 31 2,072
(16.5) (19.6) (10.4) (15.3) (15.9) (21.7) (11.0) (17.4) (6.3) (9.4) (5.0) (7.7) (6.3) (7.4) (0.2) (4.4)
1989 34 4,551 645 5,196 42 3,564 2,050 5,614 17 1,187 8,558 9,745 46 4,495 1,438 5,933
(10.4) (14.8) (2.4) (9.0) (12.7) (11.6) (7.2) (7.0) (5.2) (3.9) (32.0) (17.0) (14.1) (14.6) (5.4) (10.3)
1 Not available.

support for a network of regional technology centres (RTCs) which give firms access to technical expertise in universities and polytechnics. The Secretary of State plans to introduce a programme to strengthen RTCs acting as intermediaries between the science base and small and medium-sized firms. Government also provide support for science parks at universities and polytechnics and for interdisciplinary research centres staffed by teams of scientists and people seconded from industry.

Mr. Maxton

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a breakdown of inward investment in the United Kingdom by standard English region and for Scotland and Wales for each year since 1974, showing the amount received in each region as a proportion of the total in each year.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

These figures are available only from 1979. However, the tables sets out the number of investment decisions known to the Invest in Britain Bureau for the calendar years 1979 to 1989 and the associated jobs for the United Kingdom by region. Comparable information on the total level of financial investment by inward investors is not available.

The decisions recorded include the establishment of new business, expansion or acquisition of an existing business and involvement in joint venture. The figures are based on information provided by the companies themselves at the time of the investment and take no account of subsequent developments.

North West Yorkshire/Humberside West Midlands East Midlands
Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs
1979 9 379 1 379 27 1,176 1 1,176 11 864 1 864 15 1,174 1 1,174
(4.9) (2.6) 1 (2.6) (14.8) (8.2) 1 (8.2) (6.0) (6.0) 1 (6.0) (8.2) (8.2) 1 (8.2)
1980 15 913 1 913 17 890 1 890 3 1,040 1 1,040 5 276 1 276
(9.7) (4.9) 1 (4.9) (11.0) (4.8) 1 (4.8) (1.9) (5.6) 1 (5.6) (3.2) (1.5) 1 (1.5)
1981 12 1,177 1 1,177 6 167 1 167 7 425 1 425 8 290 1 290
(9.0) (7.2) 1 (7.2) (4.5) (1.0) 1 (1.0) (5.3) (2.6) 1 (2.6) (6.0) (1.8) 1 (1.8)
1982 14 1,291 1 1,291 7 104 1 104 1 100 1 100 13 848 1 848
(10.5) (12.3) 1 (12.3) (5.3) (0.9) 1 (1.0) (0.7) (0.9) 1 (0.9) (9.8) (8.1) 1 (8.1)
1983 22 709 1,114 1,823 10 345 502 847 13 1,201 3,179 4,380 12 939 80 1,019
(9.3) (4.6) (7.3) (5.9) (4.2) (2.2) (3.3) (2.7) (5.5) (7.7) (20.8) (14.2) (5.1) (6.0) (0.5) (3.3)
1984 40 1,135 1,911 3,046 7 119 860 979 14 1,531 5,240 6,771 11 658 303 961
(12.2) (4.2) (9.9) (6.6) (2.1) (0.4) (4.5) (2.1) (4.3) (5.6) (27.2) (14.6) (3.4) (2.4) (1.6) (2.1)
1985 28 2,271 1,378 3,649 16 2,263 2,969 5,232 63 5,197 1,375 6,572 19 778 0 778
(7.5) (8.9) (7.4) (8.2) (4.3) (8.8) (15.9) (11.8) (16.8) (20.3) (7.4) (14.8) (5.1) (3.0) (1.8)
1986 34 1,400 1,389 2,789 11 158 57 215 74 4,393 1,899 6,292 15 557 20 577
(10.0) (8.6) (12.9) (10.3) (3.2) (0.9) (0.5) (0.7) (21.8) (27.0) (17.7) (23.3) (4.4) (3.4) (0.1) (2.1)
1987 28 1,323 4,896 6,219 23 1,147 961 2,108 59 3,079 2,271 5,350 11 456 398 854
(8.6) (6.1) (24.1) (14.1) (7.1) (5.3) (4.7) (5.0) (18.2) (14.2) (11.2) (12.8) (3.4) (2.1) (2.0) (2.0)
1988 30 1,763 3,844 5,607 23 1,790 380 2,170 69 3,671 7,840 11,511 18 1,139 880 2,019
(8.5) (6.4) (17.7) (10.9) (5.7) (6.4) (2.1) (4.7) (19.6) (13.3) (42.8) (25.0) (5.2) (4.1) (4.8) (4.4)
1989 52 2,646 4,538 7,184 11 600 1,100 1,700 87 5,629 7,035 12,664 11 4,073 2,420 6,783
(15.9) (8.6) (17.0) (12.5) (3.4) (1.9) (4.1) (3.0) (26.6) (18.3) (26.2) (22.0) (3.3) (13.2) (9.0) (11.6)
1 Not available.

South East South West United Kingdom not Specified Total United Kingdom
Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs Number of projects New jobs Safeguarded jobs Total jobs
1979 23 908 1 908 13 1,938 1 1,938 183 14,310 1 14,310
(12.6) (6.3) 1 (6.3) (7.1) (13.5) 1 (13.5) 1
1980 23 1,046 1 1,046 6 1,008 1 1,008 155 18,662 1 18,662
(14.8) (5.6) 1 (5.6) (3.9) (5.4) 1 (5.4) 1
1981 15 967 1 967 8 2,199 1 2,199 133 16,417 1 16,417
(11.3) (5.9) 1 (5.9) (60) (13.4) 1 (13.4) 1
1982 25 1,300 1—_ 1,300 7 1,295 1 1,295 133 10,529 1 10,529
(18.8) (12.4) 1 (12.4) (5.3) (12.3) 1 (12.3)
1983 59 3,036 2,667 5,703 9 451 458 909 236 15,546 15,257 30,803
(25.0) (19.5) (17.5) (18.5) (3.8) (2.9) (3.0) (2.9)
1984 70 2,731 810 3,541 14 1,364 586 1,950 328 27,102 19,294 46,396
(21.3) (10.1) (4.2) (7.6) (4.3) (5.0) (3.0) (4.2)
1985 84 3,649 5,712 9,361 15 1,281 19 1,300 375 25,584 18,721 44,305
(22.4) (14.3) (30.5) (21.1) (4.0) (5.0) (0.1) (2.9)
1986 60 2,118 1,148 3,266 12 1,129 528 1,657 339 16,274 10,760 27,034
(17.7) (13.0) (10.7) (12.1) (3.5) (6.9) (4.9) (6.1)
1987 55 2,698 599 3,297 11 564 328 892 1 5,700 5,700 325 21,651 20,284 41,935
(16.9) (12.5) (3.0) (7.9) (3.4) (2.6) (1.6) (2.1) (0.3) (28.1) (13.6)
1988 46 2,400 983 3,383 5 479 0 479 3 325 0 325 352 27,653 18,937 46,590
(13.1) (8.7) (5.4) (7.1) (1.4) d.7) (0) (1.0) (0.9) (1.2) (0) (0.7)
1989 21 2,163 610 2,483 8 1,848 40 1,888 1 0 0 0 330 30,756 28,434 59,190
(6.4) (7.0) (2.3) (4.3) (2.4) (6.0) (0.15) (3.3) (0.3) (0) (0) (0)
1 Not available.

Notes:

Figures in brackets apply to percentage of total for each region.

These figures refer to decisions known to the IBB, and are provided by the companies themselves.

The jobs are those associated with the projects over the long term.

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