§ 14. Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to regenerate economic activity in rural areas west of the Bann.
§ Mr. David HowellThe Local Enterprise Development Unit's plans for the west of the Bann include the provision of eight small advance factories and eight workshops; and the advance preparation of 12 additional industrial sites. The Ministry of Commerce is to provide 10 larger advance factories in the area—five 737 in Londonderry and five in the key centre towns west of the Bann—which will benefit both urban and rural areas. Beyond that we are engaged in a wide range of public investment and social programmes and are examining further means of generating employment as fast as possible.
§ Mr. McNamaraI am very grateful to the Minister for that reply. Does he recall that the Prime Minister of the Republic said recently that the real problem in Ireland was not between the North and the South but between the East and the West? Can he give any indication of the co-operation between the Local Enterprise Development Unit and the Government of the Republic to generate new employment in the whole western region?
§ Mr. HowellThe question of economic development in the western region must take account of developments in Ireland as a whole. Under the previous Government there were links with the Republic of Ireland on questions of economic development. We keep a close watch on this, and there are certainly possibilities here.