§ 31. Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what practical outcome has resulted from the establishment of assisted area status for a number of urban authorities.
§ Mr. Shore:The Inner Urban Areas Act provides new powers to local authorities to assist industry and commerce in designated district areas, but they have not received assisted area status. Forty-three districts in England have been designated, 18 of them outside the assisted areas. Programmes of action for 1979–82, including the use of powers under the Act, have already been drawn up for the seven partnership areas and the 15 programme authority areas. A number of authorities are also actively considering the declaration of improvement areas under the Act. Some improvement areas have already been declared.