§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the effect of growing unemployment in the City of Stoke-on-Trent and in North Staffordshire; and if he will treat as a matter of urgency new schemes for the clearance of derelict sites to be operated and carried out under the Local Employment Act.
§ Mr. ErrollI am aware that unemployment in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire has risen in recent months. Much of it is due directly or indirectly to adverse weather conditons: it is still lower than in many other places. Since Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire are not development districts under the Local Employment Act, 1960, the powers provided by the Act in relation to the clearance of derelict sites cannot be exercised there.