asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the cost per head of population of public expenditure for which his Department is responsible in Cornwall, and England and Wales, respectively.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. Estimates of the expenditure on regional preferential assistance paid by this Department are as follows:

	1975–76
South-West assisted areas
Total expenditure	£7 million
Per head of population	£8·3
English assisted areas
Total expenditure	£225·5 million
Per head of population	£14
Wales
Total expenditure	£64·4 million
Per head of population	£23·3

The figures comprise regional development grants, regional selective financial assistance, the investment grant differential, Local Employment Act residual expenditure and expenditure on land and factories.The figures do not include expenditure by the Office for Wales to which certain responsibilities were transferred during the course of the financial year.All figures are gross and include payments to nationalised industries.