§ 37. Mr. Willeyasked the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been made to him about the employment needs of the Wearside area; and what reply he has made.
§ Mrs. Gwyneth DunwoodyI am well aware of the employment needs of Wearside, as of other parts of the North-East, and during my right hon. Friend's visit there in July these were again brought to his attention by the many local representatives he met. My right hon. Friend will continue to do everything possible within his powers to encourage industrial development in the region.
§ Mr. WilleyAs Sunderland has had the largest percentage of unemployment of any large town in Britain for well over a year, does not my hon. Friend realise that we need exceptional steps to concentrate attention upon the Wearside within overall development area policy?
§ Mrs. DunwoodyI sympathise with my right hon. Friend. I know that his own efforts to assist us in the employment field have been herculean. I am sorry that we have been having so much difficulty, but we hope to see a change in the immediate future.