asked the Secretary of State for Industry what further progress he expects to make in 1978 with the EEC Commissioner for Regional Policies on the Regional Fund.
I hope that agreement will be reached by the end of this year on proposals for a Community regional policy and for amendments to the European Regional Development Fund Regulation.
asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many inquiries his Department has received since January 1975 from companies in the EEC contemplating new projects in the development areas of the North Region.
Since 1st January 1975 an estimated 100 EEC firms made specific inquiries of my Department about the possibility of setting up manufacturing projects in the Northern Region. Officials in my Department and of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in posts in EEC countries are also in regular contract with foreign firms, discussion with which may lead at a later date to investment in the Northern Region. In addition, my Department makes a grant in aid of £1 million annually to the North of England Development Council to support its own promotional work on inward investment.
asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the amount of public money expended during the years 1974, 1975 and 1976 to the latest available figures to encourage the movement of industry to the North-East development area.
I regret that information is not available in the form requested, but the estimated annual amounts of expenditure on regional assistance to industry in the northern development area for the years 1974–75–1976–77 are as follows:
| (Units = £ million) | ||||
| 1974–75 | … | … | … | 122 |
| 1975–76 | … | … | … | 185 |
| 1976–77 | … | … | … | 237 |
| (Units = £ thousands) | |||
| 1974–75 | … | … | 100 |
| 1975–76 | … | … | 106.6 |
| 1976–77 | … | … | 106.6 |