asked the Secretary of State for Industry why, in view of their high unemployment resulting from steel closures, the town of Bilston in particular and the West Midlands in general, were excluded from the special programme arising out of the £18,400,000 payment from the European regional development fund.

Because of the relatively small sums available the Commission decided to concentrate the aid on the areas having the highest concentration of unemployed steel workers, which did not include the West Midlands.