§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the progress of the Liverpool international garden festival; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI visited the site of the international garden festival earlier this month and was most impressed by the rapid progress that has been made by the Merseyside Development Corporation. Everything is on target for its opening in May next year. I am convinced it can be a great success and a major boost to the Merseyside economy as well as leaving a permanent legacy of land for development and recreational facilities for local people.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many jobs have been created as a result of preparations for the Liverpool international garden festival, as at the latest available date;
(2) how many jobs he estimates will be created by the Liverpool international garden festival over the next 15 months; and how many will be permanent.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinThe number of people currently working on the preparations for the international garden festival is around 250. This figure will increase considerably over the next 15 months as people are engaged for the operation and maintenance of the festival next year. The precise numbers are not yet known. There will of course be a considerable number of other jobs within Merseyside arising from the need to cater for the large number of visitors to the festival. It is not possible to say at this stage how many of these will be permanent.