asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will detail the assistance that has been and is being given by the Government to ICL for the production of its new range of computers.

Government assistance to ICL has been for development rather than production. The £40 million support programme for ICL over the four years ending September 1976, announced to the House on 4th July 1973, is mainly for the development of the company's new 2900 series of computers.