§ 6. Mr. Edelmanasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the recent decline in trade on the part of the machine tool industry; and what action he is taking to find new markets for this nationally important industry.
§ Sir D. EcclesI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him yesterday. As regards new markets, I am glad to say that in 1957 the machine tool industry achieved record exports, including a particularly gratifying increase in shipments to North America.
§ Mr. EdelmanDoes not the right hon. Gentleman's reply mask the fact that more special purpose machine tools vital for our industry are being imported than we are exporting; and, 181 further, is he aware that a quarter of the machine tool workers in the Coventry area, highly skilled men, are now facing redundancy? Pending nationalisation, will he take action to investigate the paradoxes of the situation?
§ Sir D. EcclesI am not aware of this situation in the machine tool industry, but I will look into it.