HC Deb 11 December 1935 vol 307 cc910-2
73. Mr. GUY

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he will take the necessary steps to ensure that only local labour is employed on the new Government buildings on the Calton site, Edinburgh?

The FIRST COMMISSIONER of WORKS (Mr. Ormsby-Gore)

Representations have already been made to the contractor selected for the foundations of the new Government offices in Edinburgh as to the great desirability of engaging local labour through the local Employment Exchange, and I propose that similar representations should be made in respect of successive contracts.

Mr. MAXTON

Does this mean that national money which is being spent on this job is to be limited to Edinburgh workers, and that workers from distressed areas in Scotland may not be taken on?

Mr. ORMSBY-GORE

This is only a foundation contract, and I think that in Edinburgh and in Leith as well there are a number of men registered at the Employment Exchanges and, if there is a demand for more labour, they should be taken on.

Number of County Councillors.
County. Representing landward area. Representing large burghs. Representing small burghs. Total.
Aberdeen … … 54 — 19 73
Angus … … 30 11 29 70
Argyll … … 34 — 19 53
Ayr … … 41 24 26 91
Banff … … 23 — 22 45
Berwick … … 28 — 6 34
Bute … … 11 — 14 25
Caithness … … 22 — 14 36
Clackmannan … … 8 — 14 22
Dumfries … … 35 14 11 60
Dunbarton … … 34 22 16 72
East Lothian … … 26 — 20 46
Fife … … 46 24 40 110
Inverness … … 57 21 4 82
Kincardine … … 21 — 11 32
Kinross … … 11 — 4 15
Kirkcudbright … … 22 — 11 33
Lanark … … 53 36 3 92
Midlothian … … 34 — 21 55
Moray … … 22 — 22 44
Nairn … … 9 — 6 15
Orkney … … 20 — 11 31
Peebles … … 15 — 11 26
Perth … … 47 20 16 83
Renfrew … … 25 50 15 90
Ross and Cromarty … 36 — 14 50
Roxburgh … … 28 — 24 52
Selkirk … … 7 — 23 30
Stirling … … 40 20 12 72
Sutherland … … 19 — 1 20
West Lothian … … 30 — 22 52
Wigtown … … 21 — 11 32
Zetland … … 24 — 12 36
Total … … 933 242 504 1,679
Mr. MATHERS

Is it not a fact that if Leith were taken alone it would be a distressed area?

Mr. MAXTON

So would Bridgeton.