asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will arrange, in the interest of increasing employment in the Northern Region, to authorise earlier completion dates for projects such as hospitals, child care units, &c., where financial resources have already been granted.

My right hon. Friend has allocated £8 million to hospital and local authority schemes in the Northern Region from the additional resources for the relief of unemployment in development and assisted areas, and it is for the hospital boards and the local authorities to select schemes which can be substantially completed by March, 1973. The rate of progress of approved building schemes is not restricted.