§ 27. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the fact that industries are being transferred from Glasgow to meet the needs of the overspill population in the nearby towns, what consultations he has had with the President of the Board of Trade regarding the industrial requirements of Glasgow under the Local Employment Bill.
§ Mr. MaclayI am in close and constant touch with my right hon. Friend who has, as the hon. Member will be aware, included Glasgow in the first list of development districts under the Local Employment Bill.
§ Mr. RankinHow are the two of you getting on? Is the Secretary of State aware that under the overspill agreement his job is to get industry out of Glasgow and under the development district list the purpose of his right hon. Friend is to get industry into Glasgow? How are the two of them to be reconciled in contrary jobs? Is this not the politics of Bedlam? Would it not be far better if the right hon. Gentleman took a sensible view and built two new towns for Glasgow and pumped industry into them?
§ Mr. MaclayThat supplementary question is completely different from the one with which the hon. Member started. To deal with the first point, my contacts with the President of the Board of Trade are highly constructive. I would add that suitable projects whether in Glasgow or overspill receiving areas will be eligible for assistance under the Bill if they provide relief for unemployment in Glasgow.