§ 11. Mr. Timmonsasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total area of factory space in the Lanarkshire industrial estates, including Queenslie Estate; and what are the number of persons employed in each of these estates.
§ Mr. H. StraussThe total area of factory space on industrial estates in Lanarkshire and on the Queenslie Estate, is 2,453,000 square feet and at the end of August the number of persons employed on these estates was 9,498. In addition, there are factories on individual sites in Lanarkshire administered by Scottish Industrial Estates, Limited, with a total area of 1,869,000 square feet, where, at the end of August, 5,966 persons were employed.
I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the numbers employed in each industrial estate.
§ Mr. TimmonsIs the hon. and learned Gentleman now satisfied that these estates have not served the purpose for which they were originally intended, which was to provide employment for the people in that Development Area? Will the Board of Trade take this question up seriously and ensure that some firms are coming to Lanarkshire to provide such employment?
§ Mr. StraussI apologise to the hon. Member for having missed a part of his supplementary question, but he will observe that the Question on the Order Paper only asks for figures, which I have given him.
§ Mr. TimmonsIs the Minister aware that I put a Question on the Order Paper on Tuesday of last week for a Written answer from the Board of Trade and that up to now I have not received a reply to that Question, which has a bearing on both the Questions which are in my name on today's Order Paper?
Following is the list:The number of persons employed in each estate at the end of August, the latest date for which information is available, was:
Chapelhall 466 Carfin 350 Newhouse 1,795 Coatbridge 387 Blantyre 2,109 Larkhall 1,554 Queenslie 2,837 Total 9,498