HC Deb 12 November 1959 vol 613 cc575-7
26. Mr. Albu

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, whether he will publish, in full, the Report of the investigations made by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research into the machine-tool industry.

28. Mr. Lee

asked the Minister of Education as representing the Minister for Science, whether he will make a statement as to the findings of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on the condition of the machine-tool industry.

29. Mr. Edelman

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, whether he will now publish the Report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research dealing with the size, efficiency, capacity for research, and future prospects of the machine-tool industry.

Mr. K. Thompson

The Report of the investigations of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research into the research and development requirements of the machine-tool industry was circulated in full, and in confidence, to the leaders of the industry, with whom D.S.I.R. is now discussing the conclusions and recommendations of the Report. The Department received considerable help from the industry in making the investigation and was given information by the co-operating firms on the understanding that no publication was intended. In these circumstances, my noble Friend does not feel that it is open to him to agree to the publication of the Report. With regard to Question No. 28, pending the conclusion of the discussions now in progress my noble Friend considers that it would be premature to make any further, statement.

Mr. Albu

If the hon. Gentleman ever sees the noble Lord the Minister for Science, will he ask him if he does or does not consider that the condition of this industry is of national importance and that the publication of the Report is urgent? Will he also ask him if he is aware that there is a general view that the industry undertakes far too little research and development, particularly into the use of electronic controls on machine tools; that there is increasing competition from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the United States and especially from Russia, where they are commencing the mass production of automatic machinery; that the British industry employs far too few university graduates, having recruited two last year when the German industry recruited five hundred—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—and that in general this is an industry in which very severe Government intervention is urgently needed?

Mr. Thompson

Whatever the truth in the detail of those remarks, I think that they all fit into the statement I made that when my noble Friend has had discussions with the industry he will be in a better position to decide whether to make a further statement.

Mr. Lee

We are asking why the nation cannot be told the nature of the Report. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the machine-tool industry is the genesis of most of the manufacturing industries of Britain? Therefore, it is not a question of whether the people running the machine-tool industry are satisfied: it is a question of the economic health of the people and the levels of employment. Will he, therefore, ask his noble Friend to look again at our request that there should be a public report of the findings of the D.S.I.R.?

Mr. Thompson

I think that we must rely on my noble Friend, when he has completed his discussions, to decide whether he can make a further statement which may deal with some of the points raised by the hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Edelman

Is the Minister aware that the matter is urgent as well as serious? Is he aware that, if he were to walk through a major Coventry motor factory, he would find that the most advanced machines are German, Swiss or French? Further, is he aware that the decline in the industry, represented by the drop in the order book from nearly £90 million in 1957 to about £60 million today, is directly due to inadequate investment in research and development and also an undue, though profitable, concentration on traditional designs? What will the Government do to bring the industry into line with foreign competition?

Mr. Thompson

The Government now have the benefit of the Report, and I think that they ought to have a chance to consider it.