Development Areas

HC Deb 28 February 1956 vol 549 cc1000-1

51. and 52. Mr. West

asked the Minister of Labour (1) whether the male labour force in the Development Areas has increased or decreased since 1939, and by how many; and what has been the increase in the male labour force in Great Britain as a whole;

(2) how many people were in employment in the development areas on the latest date for which figures are available; what is the percentage increase over the number employed in these areas in 1939; and how this compares with the percentage increase over the same period for Great Britain as a whole.

Mr. Iain Macleod

I am having such information as is available extracted, and will send it to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Mr. West

Can the Minister say whether there has been a reduction in the male labour force in the Development Areas?

Mr. Macleod

No, I cannot yet do so. The difficulty is that since 1948 statistics have been taken on an entirely different basis, but I will send the hon. Member the information when it is available.

Mr. Lee

Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that since the decontrol of industrial building the Development Areas have been getting priorities of any type—as distinct from areas in which there is a massive vacancy list which the right hon. Gentleman cannot fill?

Mr. Macleod

That is a rather different and much wider topic.

Mr. Hector Hughes

As the inquiry which the Minister is about to undertake also refers to Scotland, will he have regard to the figures of Scottish migration given in the House yesterday, and which show the urgency of providing additional industrial opportunities for the people of Scotland?

Mr. Macleod

It is not essentially a new inquiry. We have all the figures, it is merely a Question of extracting the particular statistics which the hon. Member wants.

Mr. Gower

Will my right hon. Friend pay particular attention to the danger of cases such as those which have occurred in Wales where factories, having branch establishments in Wales, have their major undertaking in London or the Midlands, and have closed the branch undertaking?