HC Deb 16 July 1959 vol 609 cc569-70
23. Mr. Jay

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new Government-financed factory building schemes, including extensions, and how many private schemes, have been approved in Development Areas in 1959; what were the corresponding figures for 1958; and what was the volume of new employment in each year.

Sir D. Eccles

Industrial schemes approved during the first six months of this year were 71 Government-financed and 131 private, estimated to employ 16,800 workers. In the corresponding period last year, 8 and 128 schemes respectively with potential employment for 11,250 workers.

Mr. Jay

Do not those figures show what a very feeble effort the Government were making last year?