§ Mr. Richard Crawshawasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when an additional assize court will be built at St. Georges Hall, Liverpool.
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Development Areas (1) Cost of Government assistance to industry (2) (Financial years 1965–66—1967–68 inclusive (3)) Estimated population as at mid-1967 (4) Assistance per head of population Change in estimated totals of employees in employment, mid-1964-mid-1967 (5) (To nearest £ million) (thousands) £ (thousands) 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 Total Scottish … 16 23 84 123 4,706 26 -22 Northern … 14 18 86 118 3,415 35 2 Welsh … 4 10 35 49 1,935 25 -28 Merseyside … 8 13 51 72 1,713 42 -2 South Western … 1 1 3 5 434 12 2 Notes: (1) These Areas were designated under the Industrial Development Act 1966. Prior to their creation assistance under the Local Employment Acts and other regional development measures, including the facility of free depreciation, were available in Development Districts. Northern Ireland is not a Development Area but is covered by separate though similar legislation. Questions about mensures under this legislation are within the responsibility of the Government of Northern Ireland. (2) The question refers to the cost of assistance to public funds. Figures for most items of public expenditure are not available for the Development Areas and the figures given in the table only cover the following items: assistance offered under the Local Employment Acts and assistance for industrial training during the whole of the stated period; investment grants paid in 1967–68 (including the regional differential element); selective employment premium and the regional employment premium from their introduction in September, 1966 and September, 1967 respectively; and assistance provided by the Highlands and Islands Development Board since its establishment in November, 1965. Figures for the Furness peninsula are included in the Northern Development Area in the case of L.E.A. assistance but in Merseyside in the case of the other measures. No regional breakdown is available of the value of free depreciation and investment allowances available in the former Development Districts. (3) Assistance offered under the L.E. Acts in 1964–65 totalled £40.6 million. No regional breakdown of this figure is available for part of the financial year. (4) These figures are approximations since population estimates are made in respect of local authority areas whereas Development Areas are defined in terms of employment exchange areas. (5) It is not possible to provide figures on a basis consistent with the information in the rest of the table. The latest employee estimates relate to June, 1967. The first payments of investment grant were made in the financial year 1967–68 and the R.E.P. did not become payable until September, 1967
§ Mr. Elystan MorganThe Liverpool City Council proposes, with my right hon. Friend's approval, to provide a new criminal court and other improvements in the financial year 1969–70. I am informed that preparations are now in hand and that building will begin as soon as possible.