§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will now afford development area status to Manchester district and North-East Lancashire, in the light of the decline in industry and job opportunities in the North-West and inner city areas.
§ Mr. CryerAs Manchester and North-East Lancashire are intermediate areas they are already eligible for a wide range of assistance to promote investment and employment. I do not consider that 1 would be justified in designating them as development areas. Manchester and Salford are among the local authorities to which the Government has offered partnership agreements in order to tackle the problems of the inner cities.