asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many industrial development certificates have been granted in the Thanet area in each year since 1973; and to which companies these certificates were granted.

The number of industrial development certificates granted for Thanet, comprising the employment office areas of Ramsgate and Margate, is as follows:

Year				No.
1973	…	…	…	16
1974	…	…	…	10
1975	…	…	…	7
1976	…	…	…	6

Exemption limits were lowered in September 1974 and raised in May 1976.Information about individual applications for IDCs, including the names of the companies concerned, is given to the Department in confidence and is not disclosed.