§ 51. Miss Burtonasked the Prime Minister if he is aware that the problems of redeployment of industry and employment of skilled workers arising out of the revised defence programme have not been solved by the existing machinery for coordination between the Board of Trade and the Ministries of Labour and Supply, particularly in regard to Coventry; and if he will appoint one Minister to investigate this problem.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government recognised in the White Paper on Defence that a certain amount of disturbance is unavoidable; but it is too soon to pass judgment or, the efforts which Departments and industry are making to reduce local difficulties in Coventry and elsewhere. The Answer to the last part of the Question is "No, Sir".
§ Miss BurtonIs the Prime Minister aware that not only in Coventry and not, I think, on this side of the House only, there is very real anxiety over the effects of these defence cuts? Will he look further into the matter, because in Coventry both management and unions are very much afraid that the scientific teams which have been built up and the equipment assembled in the factories over many years are now going to be wasted?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, of course, this presents a considerable problem. I think that the Minister of Labour dealt with it in the debate on 17th April, in a speech which was very well received on both sides of the House. I have great confidence in his power, with that of the Board of Trade, to do their best to deal with these questions, if they arise. I would point out that whereas the registered unemployment in the whole pf Great Britain on 15th April was 1.6 per cent. the registered unemployment on the same clay in Coventry was 2 per cent.. not a very substantial difference. By 13th May unemployment in Coventry had fallen to 1.8 per cent.