HC Deb 15 July 1946 vol 425 c846
22. Mr. George Thomas

asked the President of the Board of Trade what reasons led to the refusal by his Department to allow the Co-operative Wholesale Society to build a mantle factory on ground that was purchased at Taff's Well, near Cardiff,

The President of the Board of Trade (Sir Stafford Cripps)

This project would need an initial labour force of some 800 women, increasing to 1,000. Building programmes have already been approved for the Pontypridd-Rhondda area which will fully absorb the female labour force likely to become available. Consequently, I could not agree to the introduction of a project which would add to the potential deficit of women workers to the prejudice of the existing programme. It is for these reasons that the Co-operative Wholesale Society were invited to consider alternative locations for this scheme. The question of the best use to which the site could be put is receiving further consideration.

Mr. Thomas

Is the Minister aware that this Society says that the factory would give employment to at least 100 men, and, in view of the fact that a greater part of the light industries which are coming to South Wales employ female labour or young boys, will he give further consideration to this question?

Sir S. Cripps

The factory could employ 100 men only if there were 1,000 women available, which there will not be.