HC Deb 20 June 1933 vol 279 cc625-7
13. Mr. ROBINSON

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of new factories which have been set up by British companies as distinct from foreign companies since the imposition of tariffs, and the number of workers employed in such factories?

21. Dr. McLEAN

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he will give to the House the promised statement showing the development of industries throughout the country?

Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND - TROYTE

Would it not be advisable that the House should adjourn if Ministers are not here?

Mr. LANSBURY

Would it be in order to move that we should adjourn for a couple of hours to allow Ministers to recover from these lunches? What are we to do? Why should we sit here?

Mr. SPEAKER

I think Ministers will be here before so long a time as that.

Mr. LANSBURY

Then could we adjourn for an hour? It would be better than killing time like this. We could have a smoke outside.

Later—

Lieut.-Colonel J. COLVILLE (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)

I owe the House an apology. It was arranged that I should answer the questions put down to the President of the Board of Trade, who is engaged at an important session of the World Economic Conference. I was held up on account of special traffic on my way here. I apologise for the length of the answer.

A recent survey made by the Board of Trade, in co-operation with the Factory Department of the Home Office and with the Ministry of Labour, has shown that the total number of new factories established in this country during the year 1932 and employing 25 or more people each, was 646. The survey has been confined to factories engaged in the manufacture or the processing of goods for sale and does not cover factories engaged in the provision of services, such as laundries, dry-cleaning establishments, etc. These 646 factories were employing 44,750 people at the end of April, 1933. Included in this total were 122 factories set up by, or with the assistance of, foreign concerns and employing about 8,500 people at the end of April, 1933. In addition, there are recorded 166 cases of factory extensions during the year each providing for additional employment of 25 or more people. During the same period, 355 factories falling within the same description were closed down. A short statement showing the distribution of these undertakings will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT. It is further proposed to publish at an early date in the Board of Trade Journal a more detailed statement showing the products of these new undertakings and certain other particulars, including the towns and areas in which they are situated.

Mr. LAWSON

Will the hon. and gallant Gentleman also say, in the statement which he circulates, how many pits have been closed down, and how many men have been thrown out of employment?

Mr. RHYS DAVIES

Will the hon. and gallant Gentleman be good enough to tell the House at some future date, or to-day if he can, how many such factories have been opened by foreigners in their own countries?

Mr. HERBERT WILLIAMS

As the answer includes Question No. 21, which my hon. Friend the Member for Tradeston (Dr. McLean) asked me to put on his behalf, may I ask my hon. and gallant Friend whether he is aware that Question No. 21 relates to the survey which the President of the Board of Trade undertook to carry out at the request of my hon. Friend the Member for Tradeston, and has nothing to do with the establishment of new factories as the result of the Import Duties Act?

Mr. MANDER

Will the hon. and gallant Gentleman also say, in his circulated statement, how many factories, as well as pits, have been closed down during the same period, and how many have been added to the number of unemployed?

Region. New Factories. Employment. Factory Extensions. Factories closed down.
S. & S.W. England … … 62 4,100 17 24
London … … 251 16,600 17 50
Wales … … 11 650 8 4
The Midlands … … 96 8.100 32 71
Eastern Counties … … 44 2,300 31 17
Lancashire … … 115 9,300 19 106
Yorkshire … … 36 1,900 28 42
North East Coast … … 11 400 4 5
Scotland … … 20 1,400. 10 36
Total … … 646 44,750 166 355