HC Deb 04 March 1985 vol 74 cc642-4
5. Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives have been taken by his Department recently to improve the prospects of securing new job opportunities for Gwynedd.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

The county continues to benefit from Government policies and programmes, including road construction, factory building, urban programme and European Community schemes, and from the work of the agencies within Wales. Regional industrial assistance continues to be available for much of the county.

Mr. Wigley

Will the Secretary of State acknowledge that he and his Department deliberately and specifically misled local authorities in Wales when he told the areas which were downgraded from development area to ordinary assisted area status and eligible only for selective financial assistance, that they would continue to benefit from regional policy? Will he now recognise that selective financial assistance is in no way regional policy, and that if a factory in Birmingham is willing to do work that would otherwise come to Wales, the work will go to Birmingham rather than to Wales?

Mr. Edwards

I do not acknowledge anything of the sort. That is pure invention.

Mr. Best

Is my right hon. Friend aware that only this morning I was in contact with his Department regarding the negotiation of a European Investment Bank loan for a garment manufacturing company, which will come to Holyhead and provide 300 jobs in the near future?

Mr. Edwards

Yes, Sir. I am also aware that there are a considerable number of selective assistance applications for Gwynedd and if they are turned down it will be for very good reasons, as in other parts of the country. They are turned down either on grounds of viability or because there is a surplus of capacity. It cannot make sense to put money into a project in one part of the country if that will destroy jobs in another part.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

When will the Minister be able to make a statement about the regional development boundaries as they apply to the borough of Aberconwy? Previously, I raised with him the question of differentials between the two parts of that borough since the recent changes. Will he now make a statement on the subject?

Mr. Edwards

I have no information to give the hon. Gentleman about the actual boundaries, which, as he knows, relate to travel-to-work areas. We are examining whether, in terms of qualification for European assistance, we can make any measures such as we did in mid-Wales following the last changes.

Mr. Barry Jones

Does the right hon. Gentleman know that there are only 500 vacancies for 15,500 jobless people in Gwynedd? Is he aware that in Holyhead one man in four is jobless? Will he tell us of any detailed plans that he has to bring work to this stricken county? Does he agree that Bangor, Caernarvon, Pwllheli and Holyhead are black spots by any definition?

Mr. Edwards

As the hon. Gentleman knows, we are carrying out a major road building project on the A55, which is probably the largest single contribution that can be made to that county. It is one of the largest road building projects in the country. The Gwynedd area has benefited from £200 million since 1979 on major infrastructure programmes. A major factory building programme is still being undertaken by the Welsh Development Agency, there is the urban programme, and European community assistance is also available.

Mr. Wigley

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the wholly misleading and insubstantial response, I beg to give notice—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Members may not say that the response was misleading. He may believe that it is incorrect.