HC Deb 27 July 2000 vol 354 cc717-8W
Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many offers of regional selective assistance made since May 1997 have received EU approval. [131826]

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 21 July 2000]Under the RSA scheme the vast majority of offers do not require approval. Of those that do, four have been approved since May 1997.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for which Ford plant regional selective assistance was offered. [131827]

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 21 July 2000]Bridgend and Swansea.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which non-motor companies have received offers of regional selective assistance; and how many have received their first payment. [131823]

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 21 July 2000]For reasons of commercial confidentiality, details of offers are not routinely published until after the first payment of grant. Information on such offers of £75,000 or more can be found in "Labour Market Trends".

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the payments of regional selective assistance to Vauxhall Motors Ltd. and Ford Motor Co. Ltd. have received EU approval. [131828]

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 21 July 2000]Yes.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when Toyota received(a) offers and (b) payment of Regional Selective Assistance as detailed in a press release on 14 June 1999; [131825]

(2) how much Regional Selective Assistance (a) Rover Group Ltd., (b) Jaguar Cars Ltd., (c) Peugeot Motor Co. plc, (d) Vauxhall Motors Ltd. and (e) Ford Motor Co. Ltd. have received since May 1997; [131822]

(3) what payments have been received and grants given to (a) Rover Group Ltd., (b) Jaguar Cars, (c) Peugeot Motor Co. plc, (d) Vauxhall Motors Ltd. and (e) Ford Motor Co. by his Department since May 1997; and which of these received European Commission approval. [133144]

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 21 July 2000]The policy under successive Governments has been that payments of Regional Selective Assistance are a commercial matter between the company and the Government and are not normally disclosed. Details of offers of grant of £75,000 or more are given in "Labour Market Trends". The offer to Toyoda Gosei Company Ltd. (part of the Toyota group) was made in May 1999 and did not require EC approval. The Rover engine project (Hams Hall) and Jaguar Cars project received EC approval.

Forward to