asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list all types of regional development incentives that have been available in Cornwall, and the annual cost of each type over the last 20 years.
Before 1966 assistance in Cornwall was concentrated on a number of small "development districts" which could be altered by administrative action according to the prevailing unemployment rates. In 1966 these development districts were replaced by wider "development areas" (DAs) and most of Cornwall, together with North Devon, became part of the South-West DA. the remaining part was given intermediate area (IA) status in 1970.Before 1960 asistance was available in the form of Government factories, and certain loans and grants could also be made available to industrial undertakings.Between 1960 and 1972 the following measures were in force throughout: (
a) building grants; ( b) loans and grants, the latter normaly for unusual initial expenses or removal costs—DA only; ( c) assistance towards the cost of transfer of key workers; ( d) provision of sites and advance and bespoke factories.
In addition the following changes were made for DAs during that time:
Since 1972 the main measures of assistance have been:
Details of the cost of these incentives are not available for Cornwall alone but yearly amounts spent on regional preferential asistance in the South-West DA since 1964–65 are estimated to have been:
£ million
| |
| 1964–65 | 1 |
| 1965–66 | 1 |
| 1966–67 | 1 |
| 1967–68 | 2 |
| 1968–69 | 6 |
| 1969–70 | 6 |
| 1970–71 | 8 |
| 1971–72 | 7 |
| 1972–73 | 5 |
| 1973–74 | 6 |
All expenditure is gross.
No account has been taken of the differential value of tax allowances which were available at various times during the period.
Figures for earlier years are not readily available.