§ 40. Mr. Arthur Davidsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is considering taking steps to relieve the unemployment situation in Accrington and North-East Lancashire.
§ Mr. AlisonUnemployment will only come down when British industry becomes more competitive and world trading conditions improve. It is profitable firms which create jobs: therefore, the more goods and services our firms can sell at home and abroad, the more new jobs we shall see in Accrington and North-East Lancashire, and throughout the country.
The Government's task is to create the right environment in which firms can prosper. We have already made a good deal of progress on this front—inflation and interest rates, for instance, have been considerably reduced. But industry has to play its part too, by continuing to increase productivity and improve the quality and design of its goods. Meanwhile, we are helping those groups worst affected by the high levels of unemployment through the considerable range of special employment measures.