HC Deb 16 February 1981 vol 999 c53W
Mr. Mudd

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria under which special enterprise zones are designated.

Mr. King

The criteria were set out by my right hon. Friend in his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Mr. Thornton) on Wednesday 4 June 1980.—[Vol. 985, c.750–51.] As he said then, in choosing enterprise zones we have sought a reasonable geographical spread between the regions and sites which as a group show a variety of different types of problems so as to test the enterprise zone concept in a range of different circumstances. Within each region, we have looked for the areas with particular problems of economic and physical decay. Within areas of that kind we have looked for sites with the need and potential for development. Finally we have looked for the willing cooperation of authorities for the area.

Mr. Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of net new jobs to be created or generated in each of the enterprise zones so far designated.

Mr. King

It is not practicable at this stage to make estimates of this kind.