asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will specify the number of claims made for various science and technology grants to his Department during each year since 1979; and which of these claims were received from small companies.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 February 1987]: The number of applications under the principal schemes for project support under the Science and Technology Act 1965 are as follows. Statistics relating to size of firms are not readily available, but also shown are applications with eligible project costs below £100,000. These are generally accepted only from small firms.