§ 45. Mr. Shortasked the Minister of Labour how many engineers were unemployed, and how many engineering vacancies were available in the county borough of Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 1st March, 1958.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodAt 17th February, there were 204 men and boys on the register of employment exchanges in Newcastle-upon-Tyne whose last employment was in the engineering group of industries, and at 12th February there were 201 vacancies for men and boys in those industries notified to those employment exchanges and remaining unfilled. These figures include office staff, labourers and other ancillary workers as well as craftsmen.
§ Mr. ShortIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the position has considerably worsened since then and that we now estimate that about 1,200 engineers of one sort or another are unemployed on Tyneside? Further, is he aware that a local newspaper today carries a report of another 200 men being paid off this week? May I ask the Minister two further questions? First, what steps is he taking with his right hon. Friend to ensure that the running down of arms orders in the big engineering works is synchronised with the provision of new ones? Secondly, what is he doing with his right hon. Friend to deal with the rapidly deteriorating position of the shipping and ship-repairing industry on the Tyne, because we are extremely perturbed about the whole problem?
§ Mr. MacleodAs regards the Question on the Order Paper, the figures I have given are recent ones, and I have no information that the position has deteriorated as the hon. Gentleman suggests, but I will look into the matter in the light of the figures he has suggested to the House. As regards the provision of new industries, that question should be put directly to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.