§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Minister of State's two meetings with representatives of the Greater Manchester Association of Municipal Authorities and of Manchester city council on 28 January.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThere was a useful exchange of views. The Greater Manchester Association of Metropolitan Authorities (GMAMA) sought development area status for the county. Whilst recognising that unemployment in Greater Manchester and elsewhere has risen I rejected the association's case on the grounds that it is the practice—adopted by successive Governments—to designate assisted areas by reference to travel-to-work areas.
Manchester city council sought the designation of the Manchester/Salford partnership area as a development area. Whilst the Government, in designating the area a partnership area under their urban programme, recognise the problems of the inner city of Manchester—as they do those of other large cities—the case for DA status for the whole county was rejected for similar reasons to those which led to the rejection of the GMAMA's case. 258W However, any lesson learnt by the Government's task force now in Merseyside will be applied as appropriate to other inner cities.