HC Deb 03 February 1987 vol 109 c617W
85. Mr. Kirkwood

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he proposes to increase job opportunities in rural areas.

Mr. Waldegrave

The Government's general strategy is designed to provide economic conditions conducive to the creation of employment opportunities in both urban and rural areas. In relation to rural areas in England, the Secretary of State is advised and assisted by the Development Commission and its agency, the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas. The Government have raised the Development Commission's grant-in-aid by about a fifth in real terms since 1983 in recognition of the part the commission plays in stimulating investment and creating jobs. For 1987–88 a further £2 million has been secured for the commission to further its role of encouraging and supporting the diversification of the rural economy. The commission also seeks increasingly to involve and encourage the private sector through support for local enterprise agencies, close co-operation with financial institutions and pump priming investment.