§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his assessment of the effects on Scottish industry of the abolition of regional development grants on 31 March 1988.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[holding answer 14 October 1991]: The regional development grant (RDG) scheme took no account of whether assistance was needed and was therefore closed to new applications in March 1988. This was part of a package of measures designed to ensure that assistance is directed to where it is most needed and will be of greatest benefit to industry and the economy. The principal form of regional assistance is now the regional selective assistance scheme. Assistance under that scheme is available to any project where RDG would previously have been critical to its going ahead, provided that the normal eligibility criteria are met.