HC Deb 15 July 1948 vol 453 cc1397-8
34. Mrs. Middleton

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he has disallowed the erection of further temporary shops on sites of demolished houses in the Plymouth area, although the Plymouth Corporation are prepared to give permission for this development; and in view of the hardship to both traders and shoppers in Plymouth from the loss during the war of retail business premises that cannot be rebuilt owing to the cuts in capital expenditure, if he will favourably reconsider this matter, especially in relation to the applications received to develop on North Hill Terrace, Manadon Villas and York Street.

Mr. H. Wilson

The restrictions on industrial and commercial building as set out in the White Paper, Cmd. 7268, have made it necessary to concentrate our available resources on projects which are essential to the national economy, particularly those which will contribute substantially to the export trade or to import savings. In these circumstances, proposals to build shops must yield place to industrial schemes of higher importance. I have carefully considered the proposals to erect further temporary shops in Plymouth but I regret they must be deferred for the present.

Mrs. Middleton

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this temporary shopping accommodation is urgently needed because the restrictions on capital expenditure make it impossible for the central shopping area to be reconstructed at the present time? Is he further aware that in the North Hill area the local Conservative Party have been allowed to erect a temporary headquarters, and while we raise no objection to that, it is difficult for my housewife constituents to understand why a Conservative headquarters is more important than shopping facilities?

Mr. Wilson

I am not aware of the building referred to by my hon. Friend. I am aware of the urgent need for shopping facilities in this and other blitzed cities but we cannot allow the rebuilding of shops to stand in the way of our industrial building programme.

Mr. Wilson Harris

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the very special difficulties in the way of retail trade in this ancient city, which has given birth to so many eminent Englishmen besides myself? Does he realise that the shopping centre has been pushed almost to the circumference of the city, which is extremely inconvenient for people at other points of the circumference, and is he prepared to give consideration to the retail trade as well as to the export trade?

Mr. Wilson

I am very well aware of many parts of England, Wales and Scotland, which have given birth to thousands of eminent Englishmen, and which urgently need factories built. I cannot allow the building of shops to stand in the way of the building of factories.

Mr. C. Williams

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that his original answer will cause grave disquiet in the West Country in regard to the way in which this Government are always ill-treating Plymouth?

Mr. Benn Levy

Will my right hon. Friend consider the conversion of the Conservative headquarters into a shop where something useful may be sold?

Colonel Gomme-Duncan

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House how many eminent Englishmen were born in Scotland?

Mr. Wilson

I wish to correct the unfortunate remark which I made. Certainly a number of eminent British citizens were born in England, Scotland and Wales and it is highly desirable to build factories which should have been built years ago in order to employ them.

Mrs. Middleton

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.