asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will provide special assistance for the textile industry in West Yorkshire, in view of the serious decline which is taking place in the industry.

While I appreciate that the industry has its problems, with varying causes, I am not satisfied that special assistance would be the right means of dealing with them so soon after the ending of the schemes of assistance under section 8 of the Industry Act. Firms can apply for assistance within the general rules for regional assistance under the Industry Act. Modernisation by the industry and the success of the Government's economic policies provide the best means of checking further decline.