Part 8: Other Enterprise-Related Provisions Industrial Development
The Industrial Development Act 1982 enables financial support to be provided by the government to industry in the United Kingdom. It includes:
Section 8 (Selective Financial Assistance: general powers) – this enables the Secretary of State to provide financial assistance in any part or area of the UK, subject to certain conditions. Subsection (8)-(9) caps the amount that can be paid in respect of any one project at £10 million. Financial assistance over this limit to any one project requires a resolution of the House of Commons. Section 8 applies to the whole of the United Kingdom;
Section 13 (Improvement of basic services) – this allows a Minister in charge of any Government Department to make grants or loans towards the cost of improving basic services in development areas or intermediate areas (now commonly known as Assisted Areas), with the intention of developing industry in that area. Basic services cover the provision of facilities such as power, water or transport, and the section applies to Great Britain.
	The business environment has since changed and the then Government consulted on 20 July 2011 on proposals for increasing the project cap in section 8 and giving Ministers the power to provide financial assistance in relation to the provision of telecommunications and broadband. The consultation on revision of the Industrial Development Act 1982 closed on 2 November 2011, having received 31 responses. The Government response (Revision of the Industrial Development Act 1982) to the consultation was published on 28 June 2012, noting that there was strong support for these two proposals from those who commented, and committing to bring forward legislation as and when Parliamentary time allowed. The measures in the Enterprise Act updating the Industrial Development Act 1982 build on the response to the consultation.
	This group of provisions forms part of the law of the United Kingdom, save for section 28(2) which amends the heading to section 13 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, and does not extend to Northern Ireland.