§ 103. Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how far, in the designation of particular areas for special economic aid, he takes account of factors other than unemployment levels, such as immigration rates and overall wage levels; which are these factors; and how precisely they are weighted against unemployment indices in decisions regarding the regional allocation of resources.
§ Mr. Graham PageThe designation of assisted areas under the Local Employment legislation is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. There is no specific allocation of resources on regional grounds across the whole field of public expenditure, but we have made it clear that we shall ensure that there will be a continuing reflection of regional development needs within public expenditure programmes.