asked the Secretary of State for Industry, in the light of the recent statement of the Northern Industrial Development Board, if he intends to allocate some £10 million to the Northern Region for the creation and assistance of jobs; if he will give details of the Cumbrian firms involved and the number of new jobs expected as a result; and if he will make a statement.

The Northern Industrial Development Board announced on 10th March that it had recommended the granting of some £2 million in regional selective assistance. This recommendation has been accepted. Three out of the 14 projects involved are in Cumbria; they account for about £70,000 worth of financial assistance and are expected to give rise to more than 40 new jobs. The assistance referred to in this announcement accounts for only a small part of the assistance granted in the North. Total expenditure in 1975–76 on regional preferential assistance to industry in the Northern Development Area was some £185 million.