§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the £100 million of the proposed infrastructure programmes is allocated for the North Humberside intermediate area ; and what estimate he has made of its effect on the high unemployment and on the economy of the area.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThis will not be clear until full discussions have taken place with the local authorities and others concerned.
Precise estimates of the effects of the additional expenditure on unemployment are not possible because of the wide range of work involved and the varying degrees of labour intensity attaching to construction work. But overall, the injection of £100 million of additional work, together with the extra £46 million to be spent on the improvement of older houses, should have a substantial effect on employment in the construction industry in the development and intermediate areas.