Rural 'neglect'
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THE DOCUMENT about the ending of vehicle excise duty and the rate support grant proposals gave the impression that the Scottish Office was writing off the rural areas of that country, charged Liberal leader Mr David Steel in the Commons last week.
This was denied by Gregor MacKenzie, Minister of State at the Scottish Office, who repeated the Government claim that many people would be able to run a car when the duty ended who could not otherwise have afforded to do so.
Hamish Watt (Scottish Nationalist, Banff) claimed that many rural delivery services would have to go off the road, while Teddy Taylor, (Tory, Cathcart) said that many people in rural areas would get the impression that the Government was living on cloud cuckoo land.
Ian Grist (Tory, Cardiff North) maintained that because Wales was distant from its main markets it would suffer because the costs of industry in the country would rise in reaching those markets.
That would make Wales less attractive to new firms, which would have a damaging effect on employment.
Nicholas Edwards (Tory, Pembroke) held that many of the areas that would suffer were those that had the biggest handicaps at present in attracting industry and jobs. They would, he said, suffer because of the long distances involved.