To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to assist areas with rising unemployment, in particular areas of high concentrations of defence-related industry; what special programmes are available for such areas; and what plans he has to increase such assistance.

The assisted area review took into account future rundowns, including those arising from reductions in defence expenditure. As a result the Haverfordwest and Fishguard travel-to-work areas have been upgraded to development area status to assist further in the work taken forward through the west Wales task force.