§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the implications for his Department's(a) planning and (b) spending on job reinforcement of recent projections published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys that East Anglia will have in the next 13 years the greatest proportionate population increase of both people moving in and of new births of any English region.
§ Mr. Butcher[holding answer 25 January 1988]: The high population growth forecast for East Anglia reflects the economic buoyancy of the region. It is to the credit of East Anglian enterprise that GDP per head in East Anglia grew from being the eighth highest in the United Kingdom in 1975 to second highest in 1985. My Department wishes to encourage wealth creation in East Anglia, as elsewhere, and is ready to work with the private sector, local authorities, and the standing conference of East Anglia local authorities to achieve this end. In particular, the enterprise initiative, soon to operate in East Anglia from a DTI office in Cambridge, will be a vital factor in encouraging the growth of real jobs throughout the region.