§ 72. Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he used in deciding that the metropolitan borough of Sandwell did not merit special attention in the extension of the urban programme announced on 8th November; and whether he will reconsider his decision.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettIn considering the choice of authorities, we have looked at data on population loss and job loss, housing conditions, overcrowding, unemployment, and the social composition of the community. We have been concerned with the intensity, the scale and the concentration of problems. There are, however, no satisfactory objective criteria covering the whole range of inner city problems. Sandwell's undoubtedly has serious problems, but they did not quite match the degree of need that we found in the areas selected.