HC Deb 12 February 1969 vol 777 cc1295-6
12. Mr. Derek Page

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consideration he is giving to revising the system of allocation of industrial development certificates.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody

The I.D.C. control is reviewed from time to time as circumstances require.

Mr. Page

Is my hon. Friend aware that the Report of the East Anglian Regional Council confirmed up to the hilt the miserably low earnings in Norfolk and, therefore, the vital need to get more industry there? Will my hon. Friend use her good offices to ensure that inquiries at an early stage, before I.D.C. applications, are channelled towards that area?

Mrs. Dunwoody

I accept my hon. Friend's worries about Norfolk. I am sure that he realises that we consider I.D.C. applications very sympathetically, for North Norfolk particularly. In 1968 I.D.C.s were issued for 4.7 million sq. ft. We refused only three. We shall do all we can to channel inquiries in that direction.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

What is the view of the hon. Lady's Department on the finding of the C.B.I.'s survey that the very restrictive attitude to I.D.C.s in the developed parts of the country may actually be hampering the expansion and regeneration of the under-developed parts of the country?

Mrs. Dunwoody

I totally reject that view. It is frequently based, not on objective surveys, but on subjective opinions. We should try to emphasise that there is a continuing propaganda campaign building up in some more over-populated areas to say that this is a highly restrictive policy, which is not true. We are allowing firms which carry out modernisation schemes to go ahead in the South-East and in the Midlands. It is very important that people should realise that what we are doing in the development areas is just not important to those areas: it is important to British industry as a whole.

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