§ Q7. Mr. Leadbitterasked the Prime Minister what plans he has to make an official visit to the Northern Region.
§ The Prime MinisterI hope to be there in July, Sir: and I visited the region twice last year.
§ Mr. LeadbitterWhile the Prime Minister will be aware that during Question Time hon. Members have asked him to go to the United States of America, Nigeria, Portugal and Chelmsford, will he bear in mind that the Northern Region is an important place in the affairs of this Administration and that while £13 million aid to that region in 1963 has been increased to over £100 million this year, nevertheless there are still important acute problems in the region, and that in spite of his recent visit we would like to see him there again?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend should recognise that it is not always necessary to go to a region to take a close interest in what is being done in the matter of bringing work to it. He will have noticed that the seasonally-adjusted figure for wholly unemployed last month was 4.3 per cent. compared with 51 per cent. last August. We are still not satisfied although the figures are lower at present on a seasonally-corrected basis than in many months in 1963.
§ Dame Irene WardWould the Prime Minister allow me to have a hand in arranging a visit?
§ The Prime MinisterI could think of nothing that would give me personally more pleasure.