§ 13. Mr. Arthur Davidsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will give the latest unemployment figures for North-East Lancashire.
§ Mr. FernyhoughAt 10th February there were 3,486 persons registered as unemployed in North-East Lancashire and the percentage rate was 1.7 per cent. These figures are provisional.
§ Mr. DavidsonWould the Under-Secretary agree that, encouraging as these figures are, there is still need in North-East Lancashire, for new industry? Will he ask his right hon. Friend to urge upon her colleagues in the Cabinet that North-East Lancashire be given great priority in any discussions on the Hunt Committee's Report.
§ Mr. FernyhoughWe shall have to await the publication of that Report, but I hope my hon. Friend will bear in mind that the figure of 1.7 per cent., roughly 50 per cent. lower than the national average, compares very favourably with 1058 the figures in the development areas? We would be doing less than justice to the development areas if we were to try to take anything from them to give to the more prosperous areas, before the present imbalance has been rectified.