§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to assess the effectiveness of regional assistance schemes such as Regional Selective Assistance and Enterprise Grants; and if she will make a statement. [122223]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department routinely commissions a programme of independent evaluations of the impact of its business support programmes, including Regional Selective Assistance and the Enterprise Grant Scheme. 795W The Enterprise Grant Scheme was created in 2000 and has not therefore existed long enough to result in meaningful independent evaluation. Recently funded Regional Selective Assistance projects were evaluated in 2000, and the results of the evaluation are available on www.dti.gov.uk/support/rsajf2512001.htm.
Regional Selective Assistance and the Enterprise Grant Scheme are being considered in the context of the Department's reassessment of the business support it provides. In future the effectiveness of these and all business support programmes will be monitored on an ongoing basis using a balanced scorecard approach.