§ 45. Mr. Mappasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will arrange that applications to the Development Areas Treasury Advisory Committee made before the appointed day of the Local Employment Bill are dealt with on their merits and without regard to whether the Development Areas Treasury Advisory Committee's area involved is excluded from the list of areas to benefit under the Bill.
§ Mr. J. RodgersI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Lady the Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) last Thursday.
§ Mr. MappIs the Minister aware that, in connection with a recent application from Oldham, the Ministry's Manchester office said in effect that they were preoccupied with the schedule area on the Liverpool side? If I supply the Minister with details of this case, will he undertake that these cases will have proper attention?
§ Mr. RodgersThe D.A.T.A.C. Committee has said that it will complete consideration of as many D.A.T.A.C. applications as possible before the new Bill comes into force.
§ Mr. JayCan the hon. Gentleman assure us that all these applications will be considered? If they came forward during a period when the area in question was included, would it not be quite unreasonable not to consider them?
§ Mr. RodgersI am afraid I cannot give that assurance. The Committee will do its best to complete as many as possible, but I cannot give an assurance that all will be considered.