§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the dates of all approaches he has made to M. Carpentier, head of D.G. XIII of the European Commission, concerning the threatened closure of Inmos;
(2) if he will list the dates of contacts he has initiated with D.G. XVI of the European Commission, concerning the threatened closure of Inmos;
(3) what discussions he has had with the European Commission on any proposal to relocate Inmos to another site in the United Kingdom;
(4) if he will list the dates and outcome of all contacts and meetings he has had with each directorate of the European Commission on the future of Inmos.
§ Mr. Sainsbury[holding answer 29 June 1992]: Discussions took place on 10 June with the Commission about Inmos's request for a £30 million grant to support its proposed £60 million investment in Newport.
This request far exceeds the level of support we would normally consider for investment projects in the Newport area. The Commission has however made it clear that there can be no prospect of United Kingdom Government aid at the level sought, and the company has been told.
Although I am not aware of any proposals by the company to locate elsewhere in the United Kingdom, we remain ready to discuss matters with it.