Isle of Wight

HC Deb 21 January 1958 vol 580 c886

42. Mr. Jay

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will schedule the Isle of Wight as a Development Area under the Distribution of Industry Acts.

Mr. Erroll

It is too soon to judge what the longer-term effect of the decision to discontinue development of the aircraft S.R. 177 will have on the level of unemployment in the island.

Mr. Jay

As unemployment is already near 5 per cent. in the island, and as the population is largely dependent for factory employment on one firm, is not this just the sort of case for which this Act was intended?

Mr. Erroll

No, Sir. Scheduling could not alleviate the immediate problem. We prefer to rely on the efforts we are making to interest expanding firms in new projects in the island.