Shipbuilding Advisory Committee (Hansard, 30 March 1960)

§ 22. Mr. Albu
asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement about the future of the Shipbuilding Advisory Committee.

§ 24. Mr. P. Williams
asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on the future of the Shipbuilding Advisory Committee.

§ 26 and 27. Mr. Willey
asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he will make a statement on the resignation of Sir Graham Cunningham as the Chairman of the Shipbuilding Advisory Committee;
(2) whether he will make a statement on the special sub-committee he is arranging to set up to consider the future of the shipbuilding industry.

§ 34. Mr. Rankin
asked the Minister of Transport if he has yet completed the formation of the sub-committee of the Shipbuilding Advisory Committee to inquire into the future of the industry; and if he will now state its personnel.

§ Mr. Marples
Sir Graham Cunningham, who has for some time wished to retire from the chairmanship of the Shipbuilding Advisory Committee, has recently tendered his resignation, which I have accepted with great regret. The 1316 Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport will take his place as Chairman and the Committee will have the same terms of reference and membership as before. The representatives of both sides of the shipbuilding industry have agreed that a sub-committee shall be set up to consider the future of the industry. Detailed arrangements are now being worked out.

§ Mr. Albu
In view of the serious criticism of obscurantism on the part of the employers made by this distinguished industrialist, Sir Graham Cunningham, and by the director of the shipbuilding firm in a recent article in The Times, and the criticism of the industry's technical competence made by the Minister of Science at, I believe, a dinner at the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, is it not time that the Government intervened in the affairs of this industry in the same way as it has done in some other industries, and adopted policies similar to those adopted by the Minister of Aviation in the aviation industry, particularly in regard to concentration of the production resources of the industry and the provision of development contracts in order to improve the productive and scientific—[Interruption.]

§ Mr. Marples
In answer to that short supplementary question, I can assure the hon. Member that I am more anxious to get both sides of the industry together with constructive proposals for the future than to issue condemnations about the past.

§ Mr. Williams
Is my right hon. Friend aware that the whole House would agree that tribute should be paid to Sir Graham Cunningham for the very great work he has done in this Committee over a long period? If there are criticisms of the shipbuilding industry, they must be matched against its present competitive ability with the practices in Japan and in Continental countries. Will my right hon. Friend agree that if there is to be imposed rationalisation it is not necessarily the right thing for the industry? Can he tell the House—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I have forgotten how long ago it was that this House resolved to assist me with regard to the length of supplementary questions.

§ Mr. Williams
Finally, can my right hon. Friend tell the House whether the scope and aims of this Committee are to continue to be in the future what they were in the past?

§ Mr. Marples
The Advisory Committee has agreed to set up this subcommittee, and its terms of reference will be for the Committee to decide. We are to have an early meeting and are trying to find out when it will be convenient for all parties to attend, I hope that it will be at the earliest possible moment.
I propose to go to the meeting, with the Permanent Secretary, to see whether we can thrash out terms of reference which will be acceptable to both sides of the industry. Unless we can take both sides with us in this respect there will be very little chance of success.

§ Mr. Willey
Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether the recent statement by the Minister of Science represents the Government's appraisal of the shipbuilding industry? If it does, when will the right hon. Gentleman do something about it? Is it true, as Sir Graham Cunningham alleges, that the Committee is of the opinion that at present the right hon. Gentleman does not understand the problems of the shipbuilding industry?

§ Mr. Marples
If the hon. Member will look at the letter again, he will see that that is precisely what Sir Graham Cunningham did not say. Sir Graham said that it was alleged by other parties, and that he did not agree. We have him on our side in that respect. If the hon. Member will look again at the letter he will see who is mistaken. A question about another Minister making a policy statement should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

§ Mr. Rankin
Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that Sir Graham Cunningham's letter pinpointed two dangers? The first is the danger that the shipbuilding industry now faces, and the second is that the Government have no policy to deal wih the danger. Is the right hon. Gentleman telling the House that he is depending on the interested parties to give him a policy, or if he has a policy, will he indicate to us now the policy which the Government 1318 have to deal with the danger to which Sir Graham Cunningham referred?

§ Mr. Marples
Sir Graham Cunningham did not say that in his letter. The hon. Member is completely wrong. Either he has not read the letter or he has misinterpreted it. The point is that there will be a sub-committee to go into this. It must consist of the two sides of the industry and the Government if it is to have effective action.

§ Mr. Speaker
Mr. McMaster.

§ Mr. Willey
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I will endeavour to raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.

§ Mr. Speaker
Mr. Russell.

§ Mr. McMaster
On a point of order Mr. Speaker. I think you called me to put a supplementary question just before the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey) raised his point of order.

§ Mr. Speaker
I think the hon. Member is strictly right. In flexing my head I lost the sequence of time.

§ Mr. McMaster
As a representative in this House of the Minister of Science, is my right hon. Friend aware of the great concern in the Northern Ireland shipbuilding industry about the recent published comments of the Minister of Science? Will my right hon. Friend make sure that the British industry receives at least the same aid as Continental, Japanese and American yards?

§ Mr. Marples
I had better consult my noble Friend the Minister of Science.