HC Deb 08 July 1958 vol 591 cc193-4
38. Mr. G. M. Thomson

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress is being made in attracting new industry to the Dundee Development Area.

Mr. Erroll

So far this year six Government financed factory buildings have been authorised for Dundee. These, together with one other under construction and another recently completed, should provide employment for about 2,000 workers. Privately financed schemes now in hand should employ an additional 570.

Mr. Thomson

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that those are all extensions of existing industries and that so far no new industry has been persuaded to come to Dundee? Further, is he aware that the jobs of which he is speaking will take four years to arrive in the city and that what is needed is jobs immediately? In view of the rising rate of unemployment in Dundee, will he change his decision and build advance factories to get jobs more quickly?

Mr. Erroll

Some of the extensions are very important, and we are pressing on with more work of attracting new industry to Dundee. If we thought that the provision of advance factories would help, we should not hesitate to build them, but nowadays people prefer tailor-made factories to suit their specialist requirements.

Sir J. Duncan

Can my hon. Friend say how long these factories will take to build and to employ people? Does he agree with the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. G. M. Thomson) that it will be four years before jobs are available?

Mr. Erroll

If my hon. Friend will put down a Question, I will give a detailed answer, which I could not give in reply to a supplementary question.

Mr. Jay

As the unemployment in Dundee is due to the Government's decision to relax jute control, is there not a special obligation on the Government to do something about this matter?

Mr. Erroll

We have been working urgently and are still doing so.