§ 50. Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will bring forward plans to reduce unemployment on Merseyside.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe Government accept that unemployment on Merseyside is too high. For that reason the area is retaining its special development area status so that employers setting up on Merseyside and creating new jobs will be entitled to the highest level of assistance available under the Industry Act. In the longer term, however, the economic prospects for Merseyside as for the country as a whole, depend upon the country's success in the fight against inflation. The Government's policies are aimed at creating the conditions in which United Kingdom firms can compete successfully in world markets and so create a genuine need for labour.