§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the criteria under which Government investment in Rover will be expected to meet best value. [88502]
§ Mr. Byers[holding answer 28 June 1999]: The Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) scheme from which the majority of the aid will be funded (£129 million) rigorously assesses the economic probity of aid and the ability of the potential investment to deliver value for money. In the Rover case the factors taken into account included:
Winning a significant investment of over £1 billion for the UK;safeguarding of many tens of thousands of jobs both at Rover and in the region as a whole;Maintenance of Rover/Land Rover and their full R&D capability as an operational entity in the UK;enhancement of the UK's position in the global automotive market;and raising the skills and productivity levels within Rover and its suppliers.