§ 17. Mr. Rossasked the Minister of Labour if he will state the percentage increase in the number of insured workers in each of his Department's industrial regions of Great Britain from 1950 to 1959 inclusive.
§ Mr. HeathAs the reply consists of a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. RossWithout prematurely disclosing any State secrets, can the right hon. Gentleman say which of the industrial regions is worst?
§ Mr. HeathThe percentage increases for Wales and Scotland were the two lowest, with the figure for the North-Western area slightly higher.
§ Mr. RossCan the right hon. Gentleman impart that information to his right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade so that the Board of Trade can take steps to provide employment in Scotland?
§ Following is the reply:
| CHANGES IN THE ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES IN EACH OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS IN ENGLAND AND IN SCOTLAND AND WALES BETWEEN MID-1950 AND MID-1959 | ||
| Region | Percentage Increase mid-1950 to mid-1959 | |
| London and South Eastern | … | +8.3 |
| Eastern and Southern | … | +15.5 |
| South Western | … | +9.0 |
| Midland | … | +8.7 |
| North Midland | … | +6.7 |
| East and West Ridings | … | +2.1 |
| North Western | … | +1.8 |
| Northern | … | +4.5 |
| Scotland | … | +1.3 |
| Wales | … | +1.3 |
§ 18. Mr. Lawsonasked the Minister of Labour what was the percentage increase in the number of insured workers in each of his Department's administrative regions of Great Britain from mid-1955 to mid-1959.
§ Mr. HeathAs the reply consists of a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. LawsonIs there not a very wide difference in the rate of increase among the different parts of Great Britain in this respect? Is not the rate of increase so serious as to suggest that Scotland, for example, and probably Wales and the north-east of England, are falling considerably behind in industrial development compared with other parts of the country?
§ Following is the reply:
| CHANGES IN THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN EACH OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS IN ENGLAND AND IN SCOTLAND AND WALES BETWEEN MID-1955 AND MID-1959 | ||
| Region | Percentage Increase and Decrease mid-1955 to mid-1959 | |
| London & South Eastern | … | +2.8 |
| Eastern and Southern | … | +6.2 |
| South Western | … | +3.8 |
| Midland | … | +0.6 |
| North Midland | … | +2.5 |
| East & West Ridings | … | +0.9 |
| North Western | … | -0.7 |
| Northern | … | +3.0 |
| Scotland | … | -0.4 |
| Wales | … | +0.5 |
§ 23. Mr. T. Fraserasked the Minister of Labour what has been the percentage increase in the number of insured persons in Dagenham over the period from 1945 until the latest available date.
§ Mr. FraserWill the Minister say why precise figures are not available, and will he in any case check to see whether the increase in the number of persons employed in this area has not greatly exceeded the numbers expected with the I.D.C.s granted since 1945, particularly to the Ford Motor Company? If he finds that what I have suggested is correct, will he use his influence with his right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade not to grant another I.D.C. for another£10 million, particularly to Ford's in this area?
§ Mr. HeathThere are several reasons why precise figures are not available. One reason is that the basis of comparison between the figures has been changed since 1945. In addition, Dagenham is part of a much larger area, and therefore 20 figures for it alone are not available. We also do not know the number of people who work in Dagenham but who are not insured there, and similarly those who are insured there but do not work there. So far as the last part of the question is concerned, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, or the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, answered that during Questions recently.