asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he proposes to implement the decision announced in the Review of Industrial Performance, 1986 that a data base be prepared to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the cost and value of money of State aid to industry; if so, the components of the data base; when it is likely to be ready for use; and if the data will be publicly accessible to public representatives and economists outside the public sector itself.
Written Answers. - Review of Industrial Performance, 1986.
39.
It is my intention to establish a data base, as announced in the Review of Industrial Performance, 1986, at the earliest opportunity. The data base will be used to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effect of existing industrial support expenditure on the level of employment, exports and other variables and of grant-aided projects in terms of their objectives in such areas as import substitution, export growth and employment creation. At the macro level the data base will enable an assessment to be made of the benefits to the economy in terms of jobs, exports and other variables of existing industrial support policies. The data base will contribute to greater co-ordination between industrial support agencies in the provision of industrial support services by bringing together, in automated form, information which is at present held in the various agencies.
It will not be possible to provide outside access to the data base as the information will be provided to the agencies on a basis of strict confidentiality.