§ 21. Mr. Fortasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can now state what steps he is taking to steer Government contracts for goods other than textiles to the textile areas.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftYes. As the House is aware, I have been examining with my colleagues what scope there is for steering Government contracts for104W goods other than textiles to the textile areas. As a result, arrangements are now being made to enable the worst hit of these areas to share the advantages on Government contracts already enjoyed by the Development Areas and certain other areas of relatively high unemployment. I am anxious that the possible results of this measure should not be exaggerated; but the new arrangements represent another contribution, along with the measures already announced by the Government, towards meeting the difficulties of the textile areas.