asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on recent ministerial visits to Merseyside.

I visited Merseyside on 5 March 1985 to meet members of the Merseyside chamber of commerce, Liverpool stores committee, and the rates consultation group. Following my meeting I made a speech advising local authorities to shoulder their responsibilities and make a legal rate at their rate fixing meetings on 7 March.I again visited Merseyside on 7 and 8 March 1985.I arrived in Merseyside on the evening of 7 March to attend a dinner held by the Wallasey Conservative Association. Before this engagement I held a press conference in Liverpool to discuss the rate fixing meetings held by certain local authorities on that day.On 8 March I held a further press conference where I announced a new £6 million plus package to revitalise the Church street and Jersey close housing estates in Bootle, and revealed plans for a "Tate of the North" at the Albert dock. I later visited the Anglican cathedral precinct site to open the first phase of a new housing development, and then travelled to Sefton MBC where I opened the Nationwide Housing Trust development in the Edge lane housing action programme area.Later I met representatives of the council and some of the residents of the housing estate on Church street.I also made a short visit to Wirral to meet the directors of a successful local clothing manufacturing company before returning to Liverpool for a working lunch with the Merseyside Development Corporation. Finally, I met the Merseyside enterprise forum before returning to London.