§ 61. Dame Irene Wardasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the special financial provisions he has recently allocated to the Northern Region to stimulate employment, and the objectives to which the finance refers.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe Northern Region is benefitting under the Government's extra provision for infrastructure works and so far over £25 million of extra work has been arranged. This is almost as much as the previous Government provided for all the development areas together in the largest of their Winter Works Programmes.
My hon. Friend will also recall that higher improvement grants are now available for older houses in the Northern Region. There has been a very encouraging response to the scheme; local authorities have plans to improve 50,000 of their houses between now and June, 1973, and there is also a marked increase in the grants provided to the private sector.
In addition to these special programmes, very substantial investment is being made in water and sewerage, roads, and the reclamation of derelict land. Provision has already been made under these programmes to spend over £160 million in the regions over the next three years.
330WThese considerable efforts will both improve the environment and provide jobs, particularly in the construction industry.