Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book shows the development of economic planning played an important part in enabling the economic, as distinct from the social or political, issues of regional policy to be understood. It outlines the case for a regional policy and attempts, a general survey of those parts of economic theory which relate to the regional question. The book traces the development of regional policy in Britain from the early 1930s until 1967, and also shows how regional disparities have changed over the last twenty years. The development of British regional policy began in the 1930s with the Special Areas Acts of 1934 and 1937. The problem which this policy was designed to tackle was that of depressed industrial areas. The war brought full employment to the economy as a whole and boom conditions to the traditional industries.