§ 11. Mr. Merlyn Reesasked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will publish a provisional map of the proposed regional planning areas of the country to assist discussion on the problems involved in such demarcation, and to provide guidance to other Government Departments which, under new legislation, have to set up regional bodies.
§ Mr. HeathAs I explained in the debate on regional development on 3rd December, 1963, I have set up interdepartmental machinery which can provide any necessary guidance to Government Departments. I am placing in the Library a map showing the areas covered by the studies which we have completed or put in hand.
§ Mr. ReesWould the right hon. Gentleman accept that it would be most valuable to informed opinion outside the Government to know what the planning areas are going to be? For example, we do not know what the Yorkshire planning area is to be.
The second point that arises from that is that there is a danger of a proliferation of regional planning areas. For example, the Industrial Training Act requires regional areas. It would be an excellent thing if they were the same areas as the planning areas which the right hon. Gentleman is setting up.
§ Mr. HeathThese areas emerge from the studies themselves. A study may cover a different area, and what emerges from that will show the regional area required. As the House knows, we have 1566 published those dealing with the North-East and Central Scotland, and today we are concerned with the South-East.