asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the number of jobs created and jobs saved, respectively, through the payment of each component of regional selective assistance, including regional development grant, and aid provided under section 7 of the Industry Act, in the Oldham-Chadderton travel-to-work area for each year since 1960.

The following assistance has been offered under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 to projects in the Oldham-Chadderton travel-to-work area since the introduction of the Act:

	Number of projects	Assistance offered £'000
1972	—	—
1973	6	711
1974	5	201
1975	7	8,774
1976	6	2,204
1977	5	47
1978	13	774
1979*	8	385
* To 30 August 1979.

Whilst information is available on the estimated employment associated with projects supported under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972, the proportion of these projects which would have gone ahead without assistance is not known. Eligibility for regional development grants does not depend on the creation or safeguarding of employment.