§ Q5. John A. Cunninghamasked the Prime Minister if he will pay a visit to West Cumbria.
§ Mr. Edward ShortI have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.
§ Dr. CunninghamIs my right hon. Friend aware that in spite of the fact that decisions on the regional employment premium, investment in the coal industry and the dispersal of Government jobs have been warmly welcomed in the Northern Region, there is nevertheless considerable concern about what is already an unacceptable level of unemployment? Is there not a clear need to review the whole of our regional development policies, in both their scope and their effectiveness? Ought not such a review also to be made so that it can coincide with the introduction of the National Enterprise Board, aimed at bringing further industrial assistance and further new jobs to the regions?
§ Mr. ShortI agree with my hon. Friend. We must keep this matter constantly under review. As he says, we have doubled the rate of the Regional Employment Premium. We have tightened the industrial development certificate control—I think on 1st September. We have recently announced three programmes for advance factories, including 16 in the Northern Region, and, of those, two will be in West Cumbria. I myself announced the decision about the Government's Chemist's Department in the exercise on dispersal. The powers that we shall be seeking from the House in the new Industry Bill—that will include the NEB—will further strengthen our ability to tackle employment problems in the regions.
§ Mr. Robert CarrIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the Government's policies since March have caused the collapse of industry's investment programmes?
§ Mr. ShortI should have thought the right hon. Gentleman would pay tribute to what my right hon. Friend has done in the recent Budget.