§ Q2. Mr. Arthur Davidsonasked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to North-East Lancashire.
§ The Prime MinisterI did so, Sir, on 8th January.
§ Mr. DavidsonDoes my right hon. Friend not agree that if the massive Government aid now being given to North-East Lancashire is to have the maximum effect we must keep our young people in the region? Therefore, will he give the utmost priority to siting the new polytechnic in the older area of North-East Lancashire, and when he next makes a visit North will he call in on my constituency?
§ The Prime MinisterThe matter of the polytechnic was discussed with me when I was in North Lancashire last month. One reason why the Government decided, and the House has approved the decision, to give intermediate area status to North-East Lancashire was not because of the level of unemployment, which has recently been running below not only the regional but the national average, but because of the need to help provide new employment to keep young people in the area.
§ Mr. Fletcher-CookeDoes the Prime Minister recollect that when he visited North-East Lancashire on 8th January he came from Yorkshire in a train that broke down? Did not that experience induce him to look with great favour on the Calder Valley road scheme. When are we going to have a decision on that?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is an entirely different question to which my right hon. Friends and I have been paying attention. The hon. and learned Gentleman will know that when my right hon. Friend the Minister without Portfolio announced the Government's decision on intermediate areas, he said that certain resources would be made available to improve road facilities in some of the areas in question and that we would consult the economic planning councils for the regions on what they thought the priorities should be, irrespective of individual—and in this case quite brief—rail breakdowns.