§ 36. Mr. Boydenasked the President of the Board of Trade if. following the visit of the Parliamentary Secretary to South-West Durham, he is proposing to take any new measures to encourage industrialists already in the area to expand their output and plant.
§ Mr. MaudlingNo, Sir; I do not consider any such measures are called for at present. As a large part of South-West Durham qualifies for assistance under the Local Employment Act, industrialists in the area already have considerable encouragement to expand their output.
§ Mr. BoydenWill the right hon. Gentleman convey to his hon. Friend the appreciation of the four district councils in my constituency for the courtesy and diligence he showed when he visited the area? Further, will the President of the Board of Trade note that most of my constituency business during the Recess was concerned with moans from business people, and will he therefore advise the Advisory Committee to take a rather more lenient or generous view of applications from local business people for loans and assistance for development?
§ Mr. MaudlingI am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's remarks about my hon. Friend. I know that the Board of Trade Advisory Committee often turns down applications, but its purpose as an independent committee is, in a way, precisely that—to safeguard the public purse against applications which are not reasonably justifiable. If the hon. Gentleman has any particular case in mind, I should be very glad to look into it.