§ 82. Mr. Chetwyndasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on the work of the Northern Regional Board for Industry during the past year.
§ Mr. BelcherDuring the past year the Northern Regional Board for Industry has been mainly concerned with the allocation of the regional pool of coal to supplement the basic allocations of firms engaged in work of particular importance; the production drive campaign; measures for the spread of the industrial electricity load; assisting and supporting the Export Drive, National Savings Campaign; arrangements for industrial salvage and recovery; and for the week-end unloading of goods by firms conditioned to a five day week. The Board has also considered a wide variety of subjects concerning local industry, such as staggering of working hours to meet local transport difficulties, shortages of materials for industrial establishments and for factory building, coke supplies, houses for key workers and public services. Many of these problems were resolved in the Region and in those cases which were not capable of local solution, they have been referred with the Board's recommendation to the appropriate Department. The activities of the Northern Regional Board for Industry have, in general, been similar to those of the other Regional Boards throughout the country, and I should like to take this opportunity of expressing the gratitude of His Majesty's Government for the valuable work they are doing.