Hotel Grants (Hansard, 21 May 1992)

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has has with the chairman of the Wales tourist board concerning the number of cases agreed for staged payments from hotel proprietors and hotel companies to the board under the reclaim procedure in the last three years; what impact this will have on(a) the availability of funds for hotel grants to other applicants, (b) on jobs in the tourist industry and (c) on the annual government grant to the Wales tourist board.

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
The terms and conditions of grants, including the repayment arrangements, made by the Wales tourist board under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969 have been approved by the Welsh Office. Individual decisions regarding the terms of repayment of grant are at the discretion of the board and each case is considered on its merits.
Provided the WTB otherwise fulfils its annual target for the repayment of loans and grants, a decision by the board to allow staged repayments would have no effect on the availability of grants to other applicants or the level of Government grant to the board.

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the amount of the grant for improvements paid in 1989–90 to the Ynyscedwyn Arms hotel, Ystradgynlais by the Wales tourist board; in what circumstances such grants are reclaimed by the Wales tourist board; and what arrangements, under what authority, have been made for staging repayment of grant by the Ynyscedwyn Arms hotel.
Sir Wyn Roberts: In July 1989 the Wales tourist board approved grant under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969 of £17,500 for the Ynyscedwyn Arms hotel. Only £16,592 has been taken up.
The board will normally seek full recovery of grant in cases where the relevant assets are sold within three years of the last payment of grant. Where the assets are sold between three and 10 years after the final grant payment, the board may seek only part recovery. Individual decisions regarding the terms of repayment are at the discretion of the board and each case is judged on its merits.
In this case, I understand that the hotel has not yet been sold and that the board is still in discussion with the owners about the terms of any repayment.