§ 49. Mr. Boydenasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is satisfied that his economic advisory staff have sufficient resources to study the reports and prospectuses of expanding companies and are in a position to invite such companies to visit development areas, with a view to their establishing branch factories; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaudlingApplications for industrial development certificates are our main source of early information about expansion proposals, and my Department is in touch with industry in many other ways. From time to time the Parliamentary Secretary and I have discussions with chairmen of large organisations, and the Board of Trade regional controllers endeavour to keep in close touch with industrialists in their areas. In these ways it is a day-to-day function of the Board of Trade to persuade such companies to expand in development districts.