§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations are required by the European Commission prior to the United Kingdom Government exercising its right to create new development areas within the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 12 November 1991]: The European Commission's approval is required for assisted area designations made under section 1 of the Industrial Development Act 1982. Consultations would take place as and when changes were proposed, and from time to time under the Commission's own rolling programme to check member states' support programmes.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now consider conferring development area status on travel-to-work areas within the Borders region in south-east Scotland.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 12 November 1991]: No. The Government have repeatedly made it clear that they will not make piecemeal changes to, nor conduct a full review of, the assisted areas map during the present Parliament.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the powers the Government have under the Assisted Areas Order 1984 to designate new areas under the regional development provisions.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 12 November 1991]: The power to designate development or intermediate area status to areas is contained in section 1(1) and (3) of the Industrial Development Act 1982. The Assisted Areas Order 1984 was made in exercise of these powers.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now review the criteria by which development area status is conferred on new areas within the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 12 November 1991]: In designating assisted areas, the Secretary of State is required under the terms of section 1(3) of the Industrial Development Act 1982 to
—have regard to all the circumstances actual and expected, including the state of employment and unemployment, population changes, migration and the objectives of regional policies".The particular parameters to be used in constructing the map will be determined when a review is done.