HC Deb 21 January 1942 vol 377 c352
57. Mr. Daggar

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply whether any decision has been taken to hand over to private enterprise those factories now owned and run by the State?

56. Mr. J. J. Davidson

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply whether a decision has been taken with reference to the transfer of State factories, works and organisations to private companies; if so, what was the nature of the decision, and when was it taken?

Mr. Harold Macmillan

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply which I gave yesterday to Questions on this subject. The decision was taken early this month.

Mr. Daggar

Are we to accept the reply as being evidence that there is no intention on the part of the Government to transfer these nationally-owned industries to private interests?

Mr. Macmillan

There is no such intention. As I explained in the reply to which I referred, the intention is to ask certain firms to help us to launch some of these new factories, but when they are in running order, they will revert to the normal Royal Ordnance factory system.

Mr. Mander

How many factories have been so handed over?

Mr. Macmillan

I would rather not give details about the number of ordnance factories.