§ 9. Mrs. Jean Mannasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the proposed closure of the Tinplate and Woodside Ironworks has caused great anxiety in Coatbridge and, as the unemployment figures are already 6 per cent. of the insured population, if he can now make a statement regarding the future prospects of this development area.
Mr. H. WilsonAs my hon. Friend was informed on 25th July, one new factory in Coatbridge is due to start work shortly, as well as others at Newhouse. Coatbridge is one of the districts in the Scottish Development Area to which my Department is making every effort to steer further industry. I should add that Coatbridge will be among the places which will be covered by further changes in development area policy which I hope to announce in the course of the next few days.
§ Mrs. MannIs my right hon. Friend aware that that will give very great satisfaction to the people of Coatbridge? May I ask him, however, if he can be somewhat more definite about the factory which is about to be occupied, because it has been "about to be occupied" for at least 12 months and we are beginning to wonder when it actually will be occupied?