§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the prospects for the Welsh economy for the remainder of 1977.
§ Mr. John MorrisProspects for the Welsh economy are bound up with those for the United Kingdom as a whole. Substantial investments are taking place in the basic coal and steel industries in the Principality. The most recent results of the index of industrial production for Wales indicate that manufacturing output is on a rising trend. The active rôle 193W played by my Department, the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales will ensure that Wales continues to obtain a significant share of the increased manufacturing investment expected in the coming year.