HC Deb 17 February 1958 vol 582 cc856-7
46. Mr. Fenner Brockway

asked the Minister of Supply what action he proposes to take to prevent the extension of unemployment among workers engaged in trades ancillary to the aircraft industry arising from the cancellation of the SR-177.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

No instances have been brought to my notice where special action may be required.

Mr. Brockway

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that when production is stopped in one locality, as in he Isle of Wight, many other factories in many other towns suffer unemployment in ancillary trades? In view of this, will he do something to supply alternative constructive production before works are closed down as a result of Government action?

Mr. Jones

When an order is cancelled, clearly there is a likelihood of unemployment in related trades, but in this instance the redundancy expected in the Isle of Wight by the cancellation of the SR-177 has, in fact, been no greater than 500, and it follows that the redundancies caused elsewhere must be considerably less.