§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of enterprise areas on(a) the overall productivity of UK businesses and (b) reducing disparities in regional productivity. [153575]
§ Jacqui SmithEnterprise areas were announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2002 pre-Budget report. A range of policy measures, some of which are currently still under development or subject to new legislation, will benefit enterprise areas. It is too early for an assessment of the contribution of these measures to economic regeneration or productivity to have been made.