§ Mrs. GilroyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to(a) Plymouth, Sutton constituency, (b) Plymouth, Devonport constituency and (c) South-West Devon constituency, the effects on the Plymouth unitary authority area of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [158027]
§ Mr. CabornThe Department has provided the following support for businesses in(a) Plymouth, Sutton constituency, (b) Plymouth, Devonport constituency and (c) the part of South-West Devon constituency in the Plymouth unitary authority area, since May 1997.
Regional Selective Assistance (RSA)
RSA is a capital investment grant linked to the creation or safeguarding of jobs in designated areas of need (the Assisted Areas). The following RSA grant offers have been made to businesses in the Plymouth unitary authority area:
- (a) Seven offers totalling £2.01 million made to businesses in the Plymouth, Sutton constituency, to support projects with total capital expenditure of £19.8 million, and to create and safeguard a total of 1,211 jobs.
- (b) Twenty offers totalling £10.16 million have been made to businesses in the Devonport constituency, to support projects with total capital expenditure of £83.2 million, and to create and safeguard a total of 3,183 jobs.
5W - (c) One RSA grant offer of £0.24 million has been made to a business in the Plymouth unitary authority area of South-West Devon constituency, to support a project with capital expenditure of £1.3 million, and to create 55 new jobs.
Enterprise Grants
The Enterprise Grants scheme is a simplified scheme that was introduced in April 2000 to help small firms undertake fixed capital investment projects. Two offers totalling £42,000 have been made to firms in the Plymouth, Devonport constituency.
Smart
Smart awards are designed to help small firms with the introduction of new products and processes. Seven Smart awards totalling £343,437 have been made to firms in the Plymouth, Devonport constituency.
Business Link
PROSPER Business Link has provided services to small businesses in the Truro and St. Austell constituency since 1997. These include general and specialised advice to help businesses grow, export development counselling, ICT advice, and a full range of specialist information. From April 2001 these services will be provided by the Small Business Service operating through a franchise awarded to a PROSPER led partnership. This new service will be more customer focused ensuring that services are driven by local need.