§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many enterprise agencies there are; how many there were in 1989; what was the cost to the public funds in each case; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthI know of 421 local enterprise agencies operating in the United Kingdom. Of these, 408 are approved by my Department under the statutory provisions which allow for tax relief on donations to them. In 1989, the total number of approved agencies was 396.
Government funding of local enterprise agencies in England has been primarily through my Department's local enterprise agency grant and project schemes—LEAGS and LEAPS. During 1989–90 total funding under LEAGS and LEAPS was £1,879, 562 and during 1990–91, the final year of the schemes, it was £1,932,714.