§ 33. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what special steps are being taken by his Department to attract the car-manufacturing industry to Scotland.
§ 59. Mr. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the prospects of locating a portion of the motor-car industry in Scotland.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is in the closest touch on all relevant considerations with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and they will do all they can to help.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs the Minister aware that that is the kind of woolly Answer which we are tired of getting from the Scottish Ministers? Will he state specifically what action he has taken, in view of the Press reports that Ford's are planning an extension and that other areas of the country are interested and just as anxious as we are about it? May we have an assurance that the Secretary of State is making a fight of it?
§ Mr. MacphersonCertainly. The Secretary of State is making a fight of it.
§ Mr. RossIn view of the fact that the latest unemployment figures show that in Scotland we have 91,000 unemployed—about a quarter of the figure for the whole of the country—will the hon. Gentleman tell us when the Secretary of State will have something to report on this matter which is worth listening to? Does not he appreciate that the people of Scotland have already demonstrated their disappointment with the efforts of the Government so far, and are watching very carefully what the Government can do in relation to bringing a portion of the car industry to Scotland?
§ Mr. MacphersonI am afraid that would be entering into the realms of prophecy.