§ Ms. Armstrongasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will explain the criteria for selecting those local authorities invited to submit inner area programmes.
§ Mr. TrippierIn assessing priority areas for the urban programme in 1987–88 the following factors were taken into account:
Unemployment
- The scale, rate and concentration of residential unemployment, including information on long term and youth unemployment at ward level.
Census information:
- Selected census indicators of economic, social and housing stress, showing the scale, intensity and concentration of deprivation.
Dereliction:
- Information from the 1982 derelict land survey.
Population:
- Towns over 30,000.
- In addition to these specific factors, account is taken of the local and regional economic context.