§ 6. Mr. Blytonasked the President of the Board of Trade how many of the 14,500 jobs promised for the County of Durham during the next few years will be made available within the exchange area of the Houghton constituency.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonAbout 330.
§ Mr. BlytonIs the Minister aware that, although great claims have been made about the Local Employment Act, unemployment in the Houghton-le-Spring area is well above the national average? Is there any hope that Government promises will bring employment to my constituency?
§ Mr. MacphersonIt is not promises but industrialists who bring employment. What we are anxious to do is to encourage industrialists to go to areas such as the hon. Member's constituency, and we are doing our best to encourage that.
§ Mr. BlytonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that promises have been made by the Government that under the Local Employment Act they will deal with serious unemployment in the various areas of the country, and that my area has a high rate of unemployment but the Government have done nothing? When do they intend to do something?
§ Mr. MacphersonWhat the Government have done is to provide inducements for industrialists to go to those areas. The hon. Member, I am sure, would not want us to direct industrialists to go to such areas.