asked the Minister of Labour the 12 chief industrial centres in which there is the greatest volume of unemployment at the present time; whether all of them come under the definition of necessitous areas; and what steps he has taken to relieve the pressure on local finances?

The centres in question are as follow:

• Barrow-in-Furness.
• Redruth and Cambourne.
• Cradley Heath.
• Sunderland.
• Jarrow.
• Hartlepool.
• Ebbw Vale.
• Middlesbrough.
• Wednesbury.
• Newcastle.
• Sheffield.
• Glasgow.

I do not know what my hon. Friend means in this connection by "the definition of necessitous areas.' The system of relieving local finances by means of loans to boards of guardians and small local authorities, where such authorities cannot finance themselves, is being continued. I may also refer to the general assistance given, and to be given, by the Government in relieving the unemployed and promoting trade.

Why is West Ham left out, considering that we had to borrow £1,000,000 since the slump in trade in order to relieve unemployment?

If the hon. Member looks at the question, he will see that the point at issue is, where is the greatest volume of unemployment.