asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he will take following the Seventh Report from the Estimates Committee which deals with the administration of the Local Employment Act, 1960; and if he will make a statement.

The Board of Trade is considering the Seventh Report of the Estimates Committee on the Administration of the Local Employment Act, 1960, and will be sending its observations on the Conclusion and Recommendations to the Committee as soon as possible. I cannot anticipate those observations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what other measures he will recommend in view of the report of the Estimates Committee that inducements to industry to move into development districts have not been as effective as was intended when the Local Employment Act, 1960, was passed.

The Question bears on part of the conclusion of the Seventh Report of the Estimates Committee. The Board of Trade will send its observations on the Conclusion and Recommendations to the Committee as soon as possible, and I cannot anticipate these observations.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the working of the Local Employment Act has completely misfired? Does he not think that other help is needed in the North-East so that we might be able to run down the unemployment figures there now?

As I have said on previous occasions at the Dispatch Box, I think that the Local Employment Act has done a wonderful job. Again, I do not want to anticipate the findings of the Committee.

Has the right hon. Gentleman considered the view reported to be held by the F.B.I. that the machinery of the Local Employment Act is inadequate?

I have studied the Report with the greatest interest, and I am having informal discussions with the Federation to make plain matters which, perhaps, were not clear to the Federation at the time when it made its report.

Will my right hop. Friend not agree that many people in the north of England will not at all agree that the Local Employment Act has misfired? Will he continue to place emphasis on inducement and to oppose direction, which the party opposite would instigate?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that expression of view. The essential thing is a combination of inducements and of negative control. The negative control is most important. I exercise that control most diligently, but I am enormously helped in exercising it by the new scale of inducements which have been introduced by my right hon. Friend and myself.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the Estimates Committee's criticisms of the frequent changes made in the list of development districts, he will take steps to see that the whole of the industrial North-East is scheduled as a development district.

No, Sir. All parts of the industrial North-East where high and persistent unemployment exists or is threatened are already included in the list of development districts.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the uncertainty that there is in the North-East, and is he fully aware that this uncertainty could be dispelled if he would only treat the whole of the North-East as one development district? If the right hon. Gentleman did that it would certainly give strength to the elbow of the North-East Development Council which is trying to do a most difficult job in difficult circumstances.

I have some sympathy with what the hon. Member has said, but I do not think that we would dispel uncertainty in areas of high unemployment if we added to the list districts of relatively low unemployment which might therefore attract new industry to them instead of to those areas where unemployment is highest.

May I thank my right hon. Friend for what he did recently in adding to the areas which are now scheduled on the North-East Coast? Since these include the big shipbuilding areas of Tyneside and we have been discussing inducements, will my right hon. Friend remember that we should like to see an inducement provided for the placing of the new Cunarder contract on the Tyne?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her remarks. I will certainly pass on the point about the new Cunarder to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent, in considering the problem of unemployment in Stoke-on-Trent, he has regard to those provisions of the Local Employment Act which deal with relatively high percentages of men who suffer from industrial diseases and incapacity.

Although the proportion of unemployed disabled workers in the Stoke-on-Trent group of employment exchange areas is above the national average, unemployment generally in this area is low. The Local Employment Act requires me to pay particular regard to the needs of areas of high unemployment listed as development districts. I am prepared, however, to approve suitable industrial development in the Stoke-on-Trent area which could not go to a district of greater need.

While appreciating, within limits, that reply, may I ask whether the President of the Board of Trade agrees that the Local Employment Act provides for special circumstances of this kind, where the proportion of men and women suffering from industrial disease is greater than that in other parts of the country; and that the Act should provide for the special circumstances here?

These special circumstances are taken into account when assessing suitability of employment—creating opportunities which will be set up in such a district.

Has the President of the Board of Trade looked at the proportion of disabled unemployed in Newcastle-under-Lyme, adjacent to Stoke-on-Trent, where he will find the proportion to be well above the national average? Will he take that into account in considering the region of north Staffordshire as a whole?

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I will take that sort of consideration into account.

I appreciate the right hon. Gentleman's reply to my last supplementary question, but does he agree that what he has rightly stated has not applied in the past; and will he give an undertaking that it will apply in the future?

I think that it has applied in the past, and it will certainly apply in the future.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what further progress has been made in the negotiation of treaties for the co-production of films between the United Kingdom and other European countries.

We have sent our detailed proposals for a co-production treaty to the Governments of France, Germany and Italy. The Italian Government have already agreed to preliminary talks early this month.

Has the right hon. Gentleman considered the fact that this has taken a very long time? Is it not a long time ago that this idea was mooted and was very favourably considered on all sides? Could the right hon. Gentleman explain why it has been such a lengthy and complicated business to get these negotiations going?

This has proved to be the first mutually convenient opportunity.

Why has my right hon. Friend not included the Soviets in these proposals in view of the fact that they told me in Moscow quite recently that they would like to exchange more films with us or see more films by us?

This is not for the exchange of films but for co-production arrangements, which is a quite different subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the discussions he has had recently with the chairmen of leading industrial companies in order to try to persuade them to establish new projects in the development districts and in Northern Ireland; and how many promises he has received of new projects to be started in these areas.

The series of meetings with the chairmen of leading companies is still proceeding and will not be completed until the autumn. It is too early to draw conclusions from the discussions already held.

Is it impossible for the right hon. Gentleman to make some kind of interim report to the House, bearing in mind that three months ago he said that he would do this and at that time it was stressed that there was a sense of urgency about it? Have the discussions led to any promises of new projects? If so, how many jobs are involved?

Naturally, I want to tell the House as much as possible. I have considered whether it would be valuable to give an interim report, but I thought it more satisfactory that the series of meetings should be completed before I made a report. The meetings so far held have been useful and valuable, and some projects have been discussed which I hope will bear fruit.

Has the right hon. Gentleman anything to offer these industrialists? Is he proposing, for instance, to say to them that he is prepared to agree to pay the cost of transfer of their industry from the present area to the new industrially developing areas?

One of the objects of the exercise, as I announced in my speech following the Budget statement, was to make quite certain that industry was fully alive to the new benefits announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and to discuss with them any practical matters which might arise from that. I can say that industrialists are fully alive to the benefits available and, of course, in connection with the transfer of factories, the benefits not only of the Local Employment Bill, which is going through the House now, but of the Local Employment Act which, in suitable cases, can be used in connection with transfer costs.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind, during the remainder of the discussions, that Northern Ireland unfortunately still has by far the highest unemployment figures in the United Kingdom?

I had a very useful and friendly visit to Ulster about eleven days ago when I was able to have informal discussions on the seriousness of the Ulster unemployment problem.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the British pharmaceutical industry production is located in Scotland and in England and Wales, respectively, expressed in output and sales value.

At the last detailed Census of Production, which related to 1958, 7 per cent. of the value of sales of the pharmaceutical industry arose in Scotland and the balance in England and Wales.

Are these figures not most revealing? Does it not show the Board of Trade in an extremely bad light that 93 per cent. of this industry, which would be a"natural" in the Highlands of Scotland, is in the monsters of London, Coventry, Birmingham and the South-West? Will the right hon. Gentleman begin to use his strong negative powers?

My powers to withhold industrial development certificates in areas of congestion and prosperity are very strongly exercised, but 7 per cent. of the value of sales of the pharmaceutical industry compares with about 8 per cent. of sales of all manufacturing industry in Scotland.

Quite apart from negative powers, as the Government are presumably the biggest customers of the industry, would it not be a good thing for the Government to use their buying powers to steer industry into development districts as a whole?

That is quite another question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the recent increase in the import and sale of foreign edibles, including fish, tinned, frozen and otherwise, in competition with the home-produced article, thereby increasing British unemployment; and what steps he will take to protect British industry.

No, Sir. Imports of all foodstuffs in total, and of fish and fish preparations in particular, were no higher in the first five months of this year than in the corresponding period last year.

Does the right hon. Gentleman remember his not so far distant visit to Aberdeen when he made various promises to increase trade, industry and commerce there—promises which have remained unfulfilled? Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that unrestricted imports, such as those indicated in my Question, have a general reaction on a whole variety of industries and on unemployment? Will he take some practical steps to redeem the promises which he then made in Aberdeen?

I am not quite certain whether the hon. and learned Member is referring to a visit of mine or one by one of my Ministerial colleagues. Much as I regret it, I have to admit that I have not been to Aberdeen since I became a Minister.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state his present plans to attract industry to Aberdeen shipyards and engineering works.

I shall continue to do everything practicable under the Local Employment Act to encourage the introduction and expansion of industry in the Aberdeen area.

May I make a practical suggestion to the President of the Board of Trade? In view of the plans to deepen and enlarge Aberdeen Harbour, will the right hon. Gentleman consult other relevant Ministers with a view to devising means whereby Aberdeen can build methane tankers and other large ships and attract industry in that way?

I will certainly pass the suggestion on to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport.

asked the President df the Board of Trade why he decided to reject the Cinematograph Films Council's advice on the film quota for supporting programmes for 1964.

Alteration of the quota figure appeared unnecessary because performance is already well above the proposed increased requirement, and undesirable because of the difficulties with which the proposed increase would have faced some of the smaller exhibitors.

Is not that self-defeating? So long as we have the quota system, should not it be the object to give a stimulus to the production and exhibition of British films? Is not the quota already very low, and, as the Cinematograph Films Council is a representative body of both producers and exhibitors, how came it that the right hon. Gentleman felt that he could overrule its recommendations?

The Council makes recommendations, but I have to make the decisions. The fact is that, while the current quota is 25 per cent., the overall performance in 1961–62 was 44 per cent.—proof, surely, of how well the British film industry is doing. Also, I have to take into account the difficulties of the smaller exhibitors, which used to be the subject of a great deal of anxious debate in the House. I think that it is only right, therefore, to keep the quota at 25 per cent. It in no way harms British film production and makes the life of the small exhibitors somewhat less difficult.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what his decision is on the request of fruit canning firms for an anti-dumping order on Spanish canned fruit salad.

No application under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act has yet been submitted, but, following discussions with the Board of Trade, the Association representing the British fruit canners is, I understand, preparing one.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that there are difficulties when, as a result of the procedure, a request has to be made by a whole industry rather than by a section of it? Is he aware that unless something is done it will be quite likely that at least one canning factory will close or, possibly, be transferred to Spain? Further, does he know of any other case of an import duty being placed upon the raw materials while the competitive finished product is allowed to come in duty-free? Ought not the situation to be reversed? This is the cause of the trouble.

As regards consultations with the industry, officials of the Board of Trade have done their best to explain the situation to the industry, which can now consider whether to proceed with a formal application. We always try to be helpful in these preliminary stages.

The correspondence on this matter has been going on with officials of the Board of Trade since last November. How much more notice does the right hon. Gentleman require?

It is not a question of my requiring notice. It is a question of the industry putting in an application if it wishes to do so. When it puts in an application, it will be considered with the despatch which is customary in my Department.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make a statement concerning the future of the Board of Trade Jute Control, having regard to recent proceedings in the Restrictive Practices Court.

I am conducting a general review of policy in regard to jute and jute goods in the light of the court's judgment and other factors. The issues are complex and it will be some time before I can make a statement.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that his habits of conducting bulk purchase and artificially raising prices of Indian jute goods brought into this country to the detriment of carpet manufacturers and others has been roundly condemned by the Restrictive Practices Court? Does he think that his Department is above the law? Did not his predecessor create the Restrictive Practices Court? Why does not he now obey the dictates of that court as a private enterprise commercial operator would have to do?

The situation is not quite so simple as my hon. Friend suggests in his supplementary question. It is because of the difficulties which he has pointed out that I am conducting a general review.

Will the President of the Board of Trade recognise that if he did obey the dictates of the court he would have a tragic unemployment problem on his hands in Dundee, and will he think very carefully of the vital interests of Dundee before he does anything of the sort?

It is important not to exaggerate in either direction. I shall, of course, take into account the fact that Dundee is already a development district.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to enlarge the rôle of the management corporations in encouraging industry to settle in development districts.

I have nothing to add to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Mother well (Mr. Lawson) on 18th June.

Why cannot the right hon. Gentleman act with the despatch which he says is customary in his Department? Does he recall the evidence given by the chairman of the State management corporation for England to the Estimates Committee, Question No. 696, that had that corporation had wider powers more industry would have been attracted to the North-East? This has been so since 1960? If that be so, why does not the President of the Board of Trade take action quite independent of his replies to the Estimates Committee?

I am in a difficulty because several Questions have been asked about this Report and I feel that, as they are important matters, my reply ought to take the form of a considered reply and should not be given piecemeal in answer to Parliamentary Questions.

As this is an urgent as well as an important point, will the right hon. Gentleman at least assure us that he will make a statement before the Summer Recess?

I shall make the statement as soon as I can, when I have given full consideration to all the important matters referred to in the Report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to reduce the long delays now obtaining before the Board of Trade Advisory Committee gives a decision on grants or loans.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has recently taken to speed up procedures of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Craigton (Mr. Millan) on 18th June.

These delays have been notorious for a very long time. It is not good enough to say that the right hon. Gentleman will make a statement in reply to the Estimates Committee, or something like that, when this problem has been going on for years. My area is suffering from it. Will the right hon. Gentleman give his attention to the matter immediately and let us have a satisfactory answer?

I assure the hon. Gentleman that I have on several occasions gone into the question of alleged delays by B.O.T.A.C., and in nearly every case the major part of the delay has been caused by delays on the part of the applicant to provide up-to-date trading accounts and other essential information. It is a great mistake to assume that all the fault lies with B.O.T.A.C.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received this year about the dumping in this country of cotton yarn.

I have received complaints about the alleged dumping of exports from a number of countries, and discussions are currently taking place with the industry about imports from Portugal.

Did the right hon. Gentleman at the same time receive any complaints about the import of yarn from Spain? Is he aware that Spanish yarn is being sold here at 42s. per 1b. when the selling price in Spain is nearer 56s.?

No complaints have been brought to my personal notice, though they may have been raised with my Department.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations were made to him during his recent visit to Lancashire about imports into this country of cotton goods alleged to be manufactured inside the Commonwealth.

The Cotton Board asked that the regulations under which cotton textiles are admitted to Commonwealth Preference should be made more stringent. While I held out no hope that I could agree to this, I promised to examine any evidence that the difficulties of the cotton industry were attributable to any significant extent to the effects of the existing regulations.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in Lancashire it is thought that a fair amount of the cotton imports coming from Hong Kong are, in fact, manufactured in China? Hong Kong is, I believe, a net importer.

I am very glad to have this opportunity of refuting that oft-repeated rumour. There is no evidence to show that that is taking place, and even if it were taking place it would not result in any increased imports from Hong Kong because it would be within the overall ceiling. I hope that hon. Members on both sides will help me in refuting what is a completely unfounded rumour.

But does not my right hon. Friend consider that the time is possibly overdue when the whole system of Commonwealth Preference should be reviewed?

That is a very much wider question, which I should be glad to discuss privately with my hon. Friend.

Apart from that larger question, is it necessary for this purpose to treat Southern Ireland as part of the Commonwealth when she is not part of the Commonwealth?

It is not necessary, but it is mutually advantageous for us to do so. We obtain many benefits from including the Irish Republic within the Commonwealth preferential system, including the opportunity of exporting cotton textiles to the Irish Republic, which is of great help to the Lancashire cotton industry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the application of Gray, Tees, Limited for financial assistance to complete its second dry-dock.

The company has now provided the information required by the Advisory Committee which will be considering the application as soon as possible.

Will my right hon. Friend do all he can to speed up the final decision? This firm is doing its best in very adverse circumstances, and I still represent an area of very high unemployment.

I fully appreciate the difficulties in my hon. and gallant Friend's constituency. I can assure him that there will be no unnecessary delay.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the fact that the Government of the Republic of South Africa is now openly stating details of its purchase of military aircraft from this country, he will in future disclose when licences are granted for this purpose.

It is not the practice to disclose details of export licences for the supply of defence equipment to other Governments.

But is not this nonsense when the Minister of Defence for South Africa announces in detail the helicopters and aircraft which have been purchased from this country? Are Members of this House to be denied the information provided there and are we to be given no opportunity of expressing the moral protest of this country against the supply or arms to this apartheid Government?

I see no reason for departing from the practice followed by a number of Governments since the war in refusing to disclose details simply because a particular purchaser may have chosen to indicate what he or his Government is buying from this country. The question about moral indignation should be directed to my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal.

If the right hon. Gentleman will not disclose details, will he announce a policy at least as good as that of the United States Government, which is refusing to allow the export of arms to South Africa which might be used to enforce apartheid, and a policy at least as good as that of the West German Government, which is refusing to allow the export of any offensive arms to South Africa?

I think that our policy on arms shipments to South Africa is a good one and is perfectly defensible. I am sure that on an appropriate occasion the Government would be very glad to defend it.

If the right hon. Gentleman thinks that the Government's policy is perfectly defensible, will not he give us the details of it so that we may judge whether it is or not?

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to my main Answer, that it is not the practice to disclose details of export licences for the supply of defence equipment to other Governments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new light industries have been established in Caithness and Sutherland since 8th October, 1959; where they are located; and how many persons are employed in them.

Four new projects have been established in Caithness and one in Sutherland since 8th October, 1959. Together these employ over 100 people.

I did not ask for projects. I asked for light industry. Can my right hon. Friend say how many light industries he or his Department has introduced?

If my hon. Friend gives me a definition of"light industry", I will say whether the four new projects fall within it.

How does this compare with other Highland counties? It is essential that we have a more balanced economy in the Highland region. We want more light industry throughout the region.

I should be glad to give what information I can to my hon. Friend if he would table a suitable Question.

Is not my right hon. Friend's reply a confession of complete and utter failure? Is not he aware that these two counties have the highest rate of unemployment on the mainland of Great Britain and that his Department has been utterly useless in doing anything worth while? Will he take action now?

I think that it is an overstatement to say that the unemployment there is the highest in Britain, because in Caithness the unemployment rate at the June count was 3·6 per cent. However, I am not happy about the position of the Highlands. I should like to do more and I shall continue to do what I can.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now state the policy of Her Majesty's Government on resale price maintenance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is yet able to announce the result of his inquiry into resale price maintenance.

I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Holt) on 21st February.

The President of the Board of Trade has been giving us that Answer for months. Is there any hope of his ever making up his mind on this crucial issue?

This issue affects millions of consumers and hundreds of thousands of retailers and distributors. It is a complex and controversial matter, and I think it better that one should take some time in making up one's mind rather than do it too hastily.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for a new industrial estate in Lanarkshire which will serve the needs of the southern and eastern area of Lanarkshire, in particular, within travelling distance of Forth.

I am not yet ready to add to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mr. Dempsey) on 10th May.

Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that within ten days 150 miners will be displaced from their employment in the village of Forth? Is he further aware that, with all the perfectly correct concentration on the needs of north Lanarkshire there has been an abysmal neglect of the needs of the southern and eastern parts of the county?

I am aware of the special difficulties of the somewhat isolated community of the village of Forth, but I do not think that that alone should influence me in the decision about the site of the new industrial estate.

Surely the right hon. Gentleman is aware that he has done nothing at all not only about Forth and the area about which my hon. Friend has expressed concern but a very wide area in Lanarkshire? What does he propose to do in future to ensure that the whole of the area is rehabilitated by a new industrial site?

I must admit that I find it difficult to distinguish accurately between the constituency boundaries and the boundaries of the local employment exchange areas in this developed part of Scotland. I want to be careful not to mislead either the hon. Ladies the Members for Lanark (Mrs. Hart) and Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison) or their constituents. I should therefore like to think over what both hon. Ladies have just said.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for how many projects industrial development certificates have been granted in Scotland since the beginning of the year; and how many jobs will be provided by these projects.

In the first five months of 1963 industrial development certificates were issued for 72 projects with an estimated additional employment of about 3,300.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that 30,000 redundancies have been reported at the labour exchanges in Scotland in the last 12 months? Is not what is indicated in his Answer a puny contribution to finding jobs? Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that this indicates that the Government have to be far more vigorous in tackling unemployment in Scotland than they are at present or have been in the past?

During the debate a few days ago I explained what the Government were doing. The number of projects this year is double the number for the corresponding period last year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to amend the Local Employment Act to include depopulation as a factor to be considered in the determination of areas for listing for assistance under its provisions.

No, Sir.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a very strong case for doing this, that there is considerable concern about it and that certain areas are not getting the benefits which they require in order to prevent the continuing depopulation? Will not the right hon. Gentleman reconsider this?

During the passage of the Local Employment Bill through the House in 1959–60, my predecessor made it plain that our resources were limited and that they must be concentrated on the areas of highest unemployment where people are seeking work. Therefore, it could not be used for depopulation purposes.

Does not the Minister recognise that, because he does not include this as a principle under the Local Employment Act, what inevitably will happen is greater overcrowding in the already industrialised areas throughout the country and further depopulation in the areas which he should try to bring to life instead of helping into decay?

Where these localities are development districts, we are doing all that is possible to bring new industry to them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many advance factories are currently being built in Scotland; and what they represent in square footage and in the number of jobs likely to be provided in the event of occupation.

Seventeen advance factories are being provided in Scotland under the present programme. Seven of these are already under construction, and the construction of four others will begin shortly. These eleven factories will have an area of about 394,000 sq. ft. and should provide about 1,600 jobs. Six smaller factories representing 60,000 sq. ft. and about 250 jobs are in earlier stages of preparation.

In view of the heavy losses just mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Willis) due to redundancies, does not the Minister think that this small figure is a drop in the bucket compared with the vast needs of Scotland? Will he not see that something much more than this is done so that we can begin to feel that we are overcoming our difficulties?

Advance factories are only part of the methods which are used, because new factories may be built for ownership or for rental and there may be extensions to existing firms already sited in Scotland. The important thing about the advance factory programme is that we should not build too much in advance of likely tenants, because a derelict unoccupied advance factory is no advertisement to come to a locality. Our building programme is, I think, just about correctly phased for the objective which we have in mind.

Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that even last year, about which he is boasting, taking all industrial building together we did not have a building programme which was comparable to the size of our population? Will not he ensure that something much better than this is done?

I should like the hon. Member to realise that I am not boasting about last year, this year or any year. I am simply mentioning what has been done and what is being done. The important thing about advance factories is to build more or less in accordance with the likelihood of obtaining tenants so they are occupied by the time they are built. I should have thought that this was a sensible policy to pursue.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many firm commitments have now been made by industrialists wishing to develop in Scotland, following the recent Budget proposals.

Since the Budget the Board of Trade has received 101 applications for assistance under Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Local Employment Act and 49 provisional applications for the new 10 per cent. grant on plant and machinery in respect of projects in Scotland. I cannot say how many of these are firm commitments by the industrialists concerned.

Will the President of the Board of Trade indicate what percentage of the applications are from Scottish-based industrialists?

I should be glad to send the hon. Member that information if he wishes.

How long does it take the right hon. Gentleman to make up his mind whether to agree to an industrialist starting a business or a factory in a development area?

That depends on a number of factors, including the viability of the project, as I am anxious to ensure that no project on the move to Scotland turns out to be one which is likely to be a flop.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many development districts in Scotland have received no new employment since their scheduling.

Industrial development certificates have been issued for projects in all but one of the Scottish development districts since they were added to the list.

Has the President of the Board of Trade any proposals to assist that particular development district by Government assistance or Government advance factories?

I will look into that point.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from Lord Poole on the need to extend to Blackburn the type of financial aid received by development areas; and what reply he has sent to him.

None, Sir.

Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that a few days ago Lord Poole promised Alderman Mottershead of Blackburn that he would raise with the right hon. Gentleman the problems of areas like Blackburn which cannot get financial aid to clear away derelict mills and to provide sites for new industries? Am I to take it from that reply that Lord Poole has not fulfilled his promise?

I am not answerable for what Lord Poole may or may not do. What I have been asked is whether I have received representations from him. I have answered to the effect that I have not received representations. I expect that they are on their way.