§ 32. Mr. Ainsleyasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that a factory building of 35,000 ft. floor space stands empty, with ground available for further development, at Crook, County Durham; and if he will use his powers to bring to the notice of industrialists that ample and suitable unemployed workers are available.
§ Mr. J. RodgersYes, Sir. The facilities offered by this factory have been made known to our Regional Controller 994 in Newcastle and he will not fail to bring them to the notice of suitable industrialists.
§ Mr. AinsleyAs this private timber factory had to close down because the local authority could no longer build houses for need within the area, will the hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend to instruct the North-East Industrial Development Board to take over this empty factory and provide employment in an area where juvenile unemployment now stands at 8.3 per cent.?
§ Mr. RodgersThe Board of Trade, of course, has no power to direct industry to any place, and priority must be given to those places on the D.A.T.A.C. list.