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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly to the locations as possible, the effects of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997 on (a) Hemsworth constituency and (b) Wakefield district. [153004] Mr. Caborn: The Department has provided the following support for businesses in Wakefield since May 1997. Information at constituency level is not available in all cases. Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) RSA is a capital investment grant linked to the creation or safeguarding of jobs in designated areas of need. 49 RSA grant offers totalling £4.9 million have been made to businesses in the Wakefield district, to support projects with a total capital expenditure of £52 million, and to create and safeguard a total of 1,984 jobs. Within these figures 10 offers related to the Hemsworth constituency where a grant of £0.8 million was offered against capital spend of £10.5 million and the creation/safeguarding of 246 jobs. Enterprise Grants The Enterprise grants scheme is a simplified scheme that was introduced in April 2000 to help small firms undertake fixed capital investment projects. Four offers totalling £14,000 have been made to firms in the Wakefield district, of which three were in the Hemsworth constituency. Smart Smart awards are designed to help small firms with the introduction of new products and processes. Seven smart awards totalling £557,076 have been made to firms in the Wakefield district. No awards have been made in the Hemsworth constituency. Business Link Business Link Wakefield have provided services to small businesses in the Wakefield area (including the Hemsworth constituency) since 1997. These include general and specialised advice to help businesses grown, export development counselling, ICT advice, and a full range of specialist information. From April 2001, these services will be provided by the Small Business Service operating through a new West Yorkshire business link with local concessions, including one in Wakefield. This new service will be more customer focused ensuring that services are driven by local need.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

364 c456-7W; 153004

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Department of Trade and Industry Government departments Wakefield Hemsworth

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk