§ 44. Mr. Hunterasked the Minister of Labour what progress he has made in finding alternative employment for those becoming redundant in south-west Middlesex as a result of the Electrical and Musical Industries merger and the removal of Kraft Food Products from that area.
Mr. lain MacleodAction will be taken to help them obtain other employment when the workers to be discharged are known, but no notices have yet been issued by either of these firms.
§ Mr. HunterI thank the Minister for that reply, which promises to keep the matter under consideration. May I ask the Minister to consider that nearly 5,000 people will become redundant in these two firms; that dismissals will take place very shortly; and that the matter is causing grave concern locally?
Mr. MacleodI appreciate that, but this is part of the Greater London area, and unemployment there is under 1 per cent. at present. Although there have been special redundancies with these firms—about 2,000 people were involved early last year—we have not found grave difficulty in the past in absorbing them fairly quickly. I see no reason, if we do our best, which of course we shall, why that should not be so again.