asked the Secretary of State for Industry if, in view of the fact that in 1976 no industrial development certificate applications for the West Midlands region were rejected, this means that if a firm from outside the region or from abroad applied for a certificate in the West Midlands region during 1977 it would be granted.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 21st March 1977; Vol.

The steering group expects to finalise its report at the end of April—although a final date has yet to be settled—and the report will then be presented to the Secretary of State. It will be for the steering group and the Secretary of State to decide if the report should be published.