Scotland (Hansard, 3 February 1953)

§ 23. Mr. Hamilton
asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the disturbing continuation of the increase in unemployment in Scotland; whether he can state the reasons for this increase; and what remedial steps he proposes to take.

§ Mr. Watkinson
Yes, Sir. The reasons are in part the normal seasonal decline in employment which occurs in certain industries at this time of year and in part a recession in the trade of certain industries. My colleagues concerned are making special efforts to increase employment in Scotland within the general framework of the Government's economic policy.

§ Mr. Hamilton
Is the Minister aware that the figure has increased from 60,000 in December last year to 73,000, and that the percentage rate of unemployment in Scotland consistently remains higher than that for the rest of the United Kingdom? Can the Minister indicate what special steps have been taken in the case of the North-East of Scotland?

§ Mr. Watkinson
That would be for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland rather than me to answer. It is our duty in the Ministry of Labour to ascertain the facts as clearly as we can—the hon. Gentleman was kind enough to help me to do that when I was in Scotland some little time ago—and it is then for us to try to state the case. It is, unfortunately in some ways, usual for other Departments to provide the remedy, but, within the general framework of our economic policy, we are doing everything we can to meet what is a very difficult situation full of very human problems.

§ Mr. Ross
Will the Minister treat this as a matter of urgency, because there has again started something which we deplored in the past, a drift of people out of Scotland into England? Can he hold out any hope of something being done more quickly?

§ Mr. Watkinson
I did not go further into the detailed plans because there are some Questions on the Order Paper immediately following these which deal with that matter and I thought it would be wiser to leave it to the appropriate Minister to answer.

§ Mr. Woodburn
With regard to the hon. Gentleman's analysis of the situation, is he aware that the latest figures published show that, although unemployment has increased considerably over the whole of Scotland, it has actually decreased in the main towns, which means that the unemployment in the outlying areas is even greater than it appears from the percentage figures? Has his analysis given any explanation of that? Is it the result of changes in the agricultural policy?

§ Mr. Watkinson
My analysis gives me, first of all, the information that the Scottish Development Areas have come off much better than any other area of the country, and they do not show anything like the same increase. That is perhaps some guidance. Otherwise the general position is not so much distributed between the towns and the countryside as between certain industries. For example, the distributive trades, food, drink and tobacco, transport and communications, and building and contracting, lead the field, and there are many seasonal reasons why that should be so.