HC Deb 16 February 1960 vol 617 cc98-100W
47. Mr. Slater

asked the President of the Board of Trade why no particular area within the three rural areas of the Sedgefield parliamentary constituency has been scheduled in the list published for assistance in accordance with the terms of the Local Employment Bill.

Mr. J. Rodgers

Sedgefield is part of the Tees-side travel-to-work area and conditions in this area are not such as to justify its inclusion in the list of Development Districts as defined in the Local Employment Bill.

49. Dame Irene Ward

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the list of places covered by the Local Employment Bill severely restricts industrialists in obtaining suitable land, and for certain processes water, and other essentials for production, such as access to railways or river transport, and that the delineation will reduce rather than increase the movement of industry to areas of high unemployment; and if he will review his decision so as to take account of this anomaly.

Mr. J. Rodgers

No. My right hon. Friend is confident that the effect of the Local Employment Bill will be to increase the movement of industry to areas of high unemployment.

50. Dame Irene Ward

asked the President of the Board of Trade how, under the designated places covered by the Local Employment Bill, he proposes to deal with pit closures in Northumberland.

Mr. J. Rodgers

The Haltwhistle area is on the list of Development Districts because we expect redundancies this year from pit closures, but other parts of the county will be added to the list if the position deteriorates. Although pits are closing elsewhere in Northumberland we do not expect this to result in high unemployment.

51. Mr. H. Hynd

asked the President of the Board of Trade why Accrington and district has not been included in the list of Development Districts in view of its previous inclusion on the Development Areas Treasury Advisory Committee list and the prospects of further unemployment in that area.

Mr. J. Rodgers

Accrington is not on the first list of Development Districts because it is not a locality in which, in the opinion of the Board of Trade, a high rate of unemployment exists (or is expected) and is likely to persist. This conforms with the statutory requirement by which the Board of Trade will be bound.

52. Mr. MacColl

asked the President of the Board of Trade what considerations he has taken into account in excluding from the list of Development Districts areas previously on the Development Areas Treasury Advisory Committee list.

Mr. J. Rodgers

In designating places as Development Districts my right hon. Friend is bound by the terms of the Local Employment Bill. The position and prospects of many places which were on the DATAC list, including Widnes, are now different from what they were when assistance under the Distribution of Industry Acts, 1945–58, was made available for them.