HC Deb 15 March 1982 vol 20 cc9-10
9. Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the result of the review of the status of Mid-Wales for regional development aid.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

The future status of parts of Mid-Wales forms part of a wider review of assisted areas throughout the United Kingdom. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, whose responsibility this is, hopes to announce the results of the review some time in the next two or three months.

Mr. Hooson

In playing his part in the review, will my right hon. Friend underline the fact that the problems of rural sparsity in Mid-Wales are unique in all of England and Wales? Will he also emphasise the conviction of the Development Board for Rural Wales that the continued effectiveness of that successful body would be gravely undermined if Mid-Wales did not retain some sort of development status?

Mr. Edwards

There are problems of rural depopulation and sparsity in a number of other places in the United Kingdom. However, I confirm that those are factors that should properly be taken into account in the review and that we shall be seeking to develop policies that properly take account of them. I assure my hon. Friend that those matters are very much in our mind.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

Will the Secretary of State assure the House that his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry will take into account the ratio of manufacturing jobs in each region? Does he accept that removing assisted area status from the area covered by the board would severely undermine its operations?

Mr. Edwards

I assure the hon. Gentleman that we take all such factors into account. I entirely appreciate the need to maintain effective incentives to encourage the sort of policies that have had such success in the past year or two.

Dr. Roger Thomas

Will the right hon. Gentleman bring to a speedy end the present situation whereby there are two types of status for rural areas in Wales—one status within the DBRW and another locked into a disadvantage outside the board?

Mr. Edwards

As the hon. Gentleman knows, that situation was created by his right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Aberavon (Mr. Morris), and I have no immediate plans to change it.