HC Deb 04 May 1960 vol 622 cc1058-60
10. Mr. McInnes

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty the number of civilians employed by the Admiralty in Scotland at the latest convenient date.

13. Mr. Ross

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what percentage of civilians employed by the Admiralty in the United Kingdom is employed in Scotland.

Mr. C. Ian Orr-Ewing

On 1st January the total number of civilians employed in Scotland by the Admiralty was 15,755. This represents 13.5 per cent. of the total Admiralty civilian manpower employed in the United Kingdom.

Mr. McInnes

I take it that the Minister is aware of the abnormal unemployment in Scotland. In view of the figures which he has just given, can he give us an assurance that the maximum concentration is being made to provide Admiralty work in Scotland?

Mr. Orr-Ewing

I have shown by my answer now—and had the earlier Questions Nos. 2, 3 and 4 been called I would have been able to show by them, too— that Scotland is getting a very fair and in fact more than fair proportion of the total amount of naval work.

Mr. Ross

I hope that the Minister will appreciate that Scotland has suffered considerably from naval reorganisation and centralisation in the past. In one place of heavy unemployment, Greenock, we lost over 400 jobs. In any further centralisation of naval organisation will he centralise some of these establishments in Scotland instead of outwith Scotland?

Mr. Orr-Ewing

I agree that the Torpedo Experimental Establishment moved in order to concentrate our under-water research at Portland, but that run-down is more than made up by the tremendous expansion of work going at the Dounreay Experimental Establishment, so, in gross, Scotland has gained immeasurably over the years as the result of Admiralty work.

Sir J. Lucas

Can my hon. Friend state the proportion of Scottish population as to the rest of the United Kingdom? Is it not in the region of 10 per cent.?

Mr. Orr-Ewing

I think that Scotland's population is 10 per cent. of the United Kingdom population, so on a purely proportional basis I suppose one would expect 10 per cent. of the work to go to Scotland.