§ 6. Mr. Mathersasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will improve the prospects of the county of Linlithgow attracting new industries by abolishing the arbitrary line of demarcation between development and non-development areas which cuts the county in two and is wholly unjustified by any test that can be applied.
§ Sir S. CrippsI am prepared to consider sympathetically requests from industrialists to build factories themselves in the part of West Lothian which is excluded from the development area, but on present evidence I do not consider that any readjustment of boundaries of the development area is justified in advance of the general reconsideration of this matter which will have to be undertaken next year in accordance with Section 7 of the Act.
§ Mr. MathersIs, the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that his attitude is out of keeping with the attitude of those most competent to judge in' this matter? Is he also aware that in this matter the Government, who are otherwise highly esteemed, earn a very high black mark?
§ Sir S. CrippsNo, Sir.