§ Sir D. Campbellasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent talks with the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
§ The Prime MinisterWith my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary I had a very useful talk with Lord Brooke-borough on Friday, 18th November, when we discussed the present economic situation in Northern Ireland and the future prospects for that part of the United Kingdom. The main problem we considered was the employment situation because the percentage rate of unemployment there is so much higher than in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Lord Brookeborough mentioned a number of points for consideration and told me that a Departmental Committee in Northern Ireland is at present urgently examining suggestions to deal with unemployment and that he and his colleagues hope soon to be able to submit to Her Majesty's Government concrete proposals designed to help to create further employment there. I assured him that I would see that all such proposals were given most careful study by Her Majesty's Government in so far as it was in our power to help.