... Old steel works at Merthyr Tydfil & Ebbw Vale were unprofitable & were closed down. 1970's - 1980's Most mines had closed down. Low demand for Welsh coal, cheaper imports from e.g. Poland, Czech Republic, Australia. High unemployment in valleys due to their poor access to transport infrastructure. 1920 - employed 270,000 miners 1985 - employed 29,000 miners 1995 - employed 7,000 miners 1990's Even talk of closing the integrated steelworks - falling demand, alternatives e.g. aluminium, cheaper foreign competition have reduced profitability. Strategies to increase employment opportunities (WDA, Government, EC) 1. Established as a "DEVELOPMENT AREA" to give incentives to business to locate there. Grants of 15% of costs, 80% of training costs were paid by EC, rent free periods were given of 5 years, 100% tax allowances were given on machinery and 80% tax relief on buildings, loans were provided from the European Coal and Stell Community Fund, 50% grants for providing transport depots, access ...

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