asked the Secretary of State for Industry what use has been made of section 1 of the Mineral Exploration and Investment Grants Act 1972.

Between 24th February 1972—when the Act came into force—and 31st March 1978 assistance totaling £1,600,119 has been approved and grants of £835,384 have been made. No moneys have yet been repaid, but my Department is monitoring the progress of a few promising projects.Full details will be published in the annual report for 1977–78, whose publication is at present held up because of an industrial dispute at HMSO.