§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Industry in the light of the continuing high level of unemployment in the Teesside travel-to-work area and impending redundancies, if he will now review the status of Teesside as a development area with a view to making it a special development area.
§ Mr. Les Huckfield, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 273], gave the following answer:
I shall be seeing a deputation from Teesside shortly when I expect the question of special development area status to be raised. In the meantime, I am considering the case for upgrading prepared by the county of Cleveland.
§ Mr. Arthur Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he is aware of the current levels of unemployment in the Teesside travel-to-work area and the impending redundancies in that area; and why the area remains designated as only a development area and not a special development area when its existing 720W and potential unemployment rates are worse than a high proportion of those other areas already so designated.
§ Mr. Les HuckfieldI refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Thornaby (Mr. Wrigglesworth).