asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish a new grant for rural areas along the lines of the urban aid grant.

In England, the Development Commission in conjunction as necessary with its agency, the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas, already provides help to strengthen the economic and social life of rural communities especially in rural development areas. It does so through the provision of advance factories, grants for the development of redundant buildings, business advice, job training, support for voluntary bodies and rural services and other forms of assistance. Development boards or units in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland perform similar functions.