HC Deb 12 February 1996 vol 271 cc436-7W
Mr. Prescott

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the expenditure on regional selective assistance offers accepted by companies in(a) 1991–92, (b) 1992–93, (c) 1993–94 and (d) 1994–95, the proportion of regional selective assistance expenditure on foreign-owned firms and regional selective assistance expenditure per employee in manufacturing. [12701]

Mr. Ancram

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: In Northern Ireland selective financial assistance is administered by the Industrial Development Board and the local enterprise development unit. The information set out in the following tables shows the value of SFA offers accepted, total expenditure to date under such offers, the proportion paid to foreign-owned firms, and expenditure per employee in manufacturing industry.

Selective financial assistance
Industrial Development Board
Value of SFA offers accepted in each year (£ million) Payments to date under those offers (£ million) Percentage of payments by value made to foreign owned firms
1991–92 64.34 30.29 37
1992–93 95.12 46.74 63
1993–94 127.08 64.23 49
1994–95 102.14 26.26 36
Local Enterprise Development Unit
Value of SFA offers accepted in each year (£ million) Payments to date under those offers (£ million) payments by value made to foreign owned firms
1991–92 not available not available nil
1992–93 not available not available nil
1993–94 19.54 10.58 nil
1994–95 21.93 10.62 nil

Foreign-owned firms are those whose country of ownership is outside the United Kingdom.

The average selective financial assistance expenditure to date per employee in manufacturing was £732 in respect of the 1993–94 offers and £355 in respect of the 1994–95 offers.