HC Deb 29 June 1961 vol 643 cc54-5W
Mr. R. Carr

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in providing employment in the development districts designated under the Local Employment Act; and what changes he proposes to make in the list of these districts.

Mr. Maudling

I am glad to say that considerable progress has been made. There are now over 90,000 jobs in prospect in the development districts as a whole.

I am satisfied that the following districts can no longer be considered as development districts within the terms of Section 1 (2) of the Local Employment Act:—

  1. 1. Blackpool.
  2. 2. Llanelly—including Burry Port and Kidwelly.
  3. 3. Margate and Ramsgate.
  4. 4. Plymouth—including Devonport, Saltash and Torpoint.
  5. 5. Sheerness.
  6. 6. Whitehaven and Cleator Moor.

I am accordingly removing these localities from the list of development districts.

There are other districts which I hope soon to be able to remove from the list, though their prospects are not yet sufficiently definite for me to be able to take this step immediately. But, in order to avoid frustrating further applications, and to concentrate our efforts on the other development districts which still need assistance, I have decided to add the following districts to those for which new applications for assistance under the Act will no longer be accepted:

  • Skegness and Mablethorpe.
  • Southwold.
  • Bargoed—including Blackwood, Pontlottyn and Ystrad Mynach.
  • Merthyr Tydfil.
  • Tonyrefail—including Pontyclun.
  • Ystalyfera—including Pontardawe.

I do not propose at present to add any further places to the list of development districts.