HC Deb 12 July 1955 vol 543 c1721
5. Mr. C. Hughes

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage industrialists to establish industries in areas, other than Development Areas, where there is a high incidence of unemployment.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

The Board use the opportunities arising from applications for the issue of industrial development certificates to interest industrialists in these areas and to encourage them to establish factories there.

Mr. Hughes

Cannot the right hon. Gentleman do something more than that? Is he not aware that factories are now being built in areas where there is full employment, such as in Brighton on the South Coast, whereas nothing is being done for areas in South-West Wales, where, in my own constituency, for instance, unemployment is running at between 8 and 10 per cent. of the insured population? Could not something be done to draw the attention of industrialists to the fact that there is an unemployed labour force in Anglesey?

Mr. Thorneycroft

We do, of course, draw these matters to the attention of industrialists, and, in fact, in the conditions of high employment which apply today the existence in an area of unemployed persons is indeed a very considerable inducement.