§ 33. Mr. Michael Shawasked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs why, in view of the increase in the scale of the discriminatory financial assistance to development areas since 1965, which the new planning document, "The Task Ahead", underlines, the only estimate made of additional jobs created in development areas relates to jobs deriving from the use of the industrial development certificate procedure.
§ Mr. UrwinThe only specific statistics relating to the growth of employment opportunities in development areas are those relating to I.D.C. applications. These do not, however, reflect the full impact of development area incentives, and the assessment in "The Task 1787 Ahead" does take account of the other ways in which such incentives are expected to lead to increased employment in development areas.
§ Mr. ShawDoes the hon. Gentleman realise that vast sums of money are being spent on other incentives? Is it not utterly wrong that these large sums of money should be spent without his being able to make any assessment of the benefits which are derived from the regional employment premium?
§ Mr. UrwinThe only measures which have a distinct job relationship are those taken under the I.D.C. policy and under the Local Employment Acts. I discount the hon. Gentleman's comment that we are not getting value for money. I am sure that my hon. Friends who represent development areas will be in complete agreement with me when I say that industry in those areas is being very well diversified as a result of the policies now in train, to the advantage of the areas concerned.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyI assure my hon. Friend that people in the development areas welcome the work being done by the Government to stimulate the economy in those areas. Nevertheless, would my hon. Friend accept, looking back at the unemployment figures for February of this year and last year, that while there has been a reduction in unemployment in the non-development areas, unemployment has risen marginally in the development areas? Does not this show that we should be doing more rather than less?
§ Mr. UrwinThe suggestion that we should be doing more is one which will meet with general approbation, especially on this side of the House, but I ask my hon. Friend to await the outcome of the discussions on the Hunt Report.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellCan the hon. Gentleman explain how 35,000 jobs net have been lost during the last four years in Scotland, whereas there was a net gain of 30,000 jobs in the previous four years, a question which the Prime Minister was unable to answer last week?
§ Mr. UrwinJobs are being generated at a faster rate in Scotland than at any time in the history of Conservative Governments.