§ Mr. Cleggasked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, what recommendations he has received from the North-West Regional Economic Development Council about the problems of those parts of the North-West not included in the development areas; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThe North-West Economic Planning Council has recommended that industry in the North-West region as a whole should attract no less favourable investment grants than apply in the Development Areas, and that Industrial Development Certificates should be issued still more freely in the non-Development Areas of the region. Both these recommendations are within the scope of the Hunt Committee which will report as soon as possible. The President of the Board of Trade has however announced that Industrial Development Certificates will be liberally issued in those parts of the North-West where there are particularly acute problems.