asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what the Minister for Housing and Construction learnt from his visit to Liverpool on 9th and 10th April when he looked at the inner area; and what message he received from the Inner Area Study group whose meeting he chaired.

My visit to the study area had to be postponed because of important business in the House. However, I shall take the earliest possible opportunity of visiting it. The message I took away from the meeting of the Steering Committee of the Inner Area Study was that this is a worthwhile study and that it is concentrating on key issues. I look forward to the final phase of its work.