Earl of Dalkeithasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider whether it will be appropriate to take steps to provide financial inducements for private investment in high unemployment areas on the lines of the most recent scheme devised by the Swedish Government, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North.
§ Mr. BarberI am aware of this scheme and we shall study it further. I would, however, remind my hon. Friend that the system of free depreciation for tax purposes which was introduced in the last Budget should provide a very powerful inducement to private investment in development districts.