HC Deb 06 December 1983 vol 50 c124W
47. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what effect regional economic incentives have had on employment levels in various parts of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Alan Clark

Estimates of the effects of regional industrial policy are not available beyond 1981. It is estimated that over the period 1960–81, regional industrial policy raised employment in the main United Kingdom assisted areas, as defined in 1979, by the order of half a million jobs. Most of these jobs represent a diversion of activity from other parts of the country but no estimates are available of the number of jobs displaced in the non assisted areas generally.