§ 10. Mr. Chetwyndasked the President of the Board of Trade the number, value and area of factories now under construction in the North-East Development Area and the estimated additional employment, giving separate figures for Government and privately-financed schemes.
§ Sir D. EcclesTwo Government-financed projects, in area 11,500 square feet, costing about £31,000 to employ about eighty persons. Eighty-eight privately-financed new projects, each exceeding 5,000 square feet in area, and in total about 4 million square feet, which will employ some 3,000 people. The total cost is not known to the Board of Trade.
§ Mr. ChetwyndDo not the figures show that there is a considerable slackening of effort in this respect? In view of the difficulties now facing the basic industries, coal, shipbuilding and steel, is it not high time that we had a far more vigorous application of the Distribution of Industry Act, 1945, in the North-East?
§ Sir D. EcclesIn the North-East area, the applications for industrial development certificates were higher last year than the year before. That is an exception.
§ 11. Mr. Chetwyndasked the President of the Board of Trade how many Government financed factories in the North-East Development Area are now empty; and how many are working at reduced capacity.
§ Sir D. EcclesFive factories and one storage building are vacant. I am informed that four out of about 300 firms on the Trading Estate are working on short-time.
§ Mr. ChetwyndAre not special efforts being made to find new tenants for the factories? Will the right hon. Gentleman take note that a steelworks in my constituency has just declared that it must close in a few weeks' time, that we have had one empty factory on the North-East Trading Estate standing idle for well over six months? Does not that show that there is a far more complacent attitude now than there has been for some time?
§ Sir D. EcclesNegotiations are proceeding to find tenants, and if the negotiations succeed one of the tenants will be a newcomer. On the whole, the situation on the North-East Coast is pretty good.
§ Mr. GreyIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a factory on the Dragonville Trading Estate near Durham City is to close down today? What steps does he intend to take to get another firm to take over immediately?
§ Sir D. EcclesI did not know about that factory, but if it closes it will at once come under the Board of Trade's review.
§ Mr. P. WilliamsWhen the employment position in the North-East is discussed, will my right hon. Friend remember that the position of heavy engineering and shipbuilding is remarkably satisfactory?