HC Deb 10 November 1960 vol 629 cc1212-3
31 and 32. Mr. Lawson

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) on what date the former naval store buildings at Carfin, in Lanarkshire, were handed over to the Industrial Estates Management Corporation for Scotland;

(2) when work commenced on the conversion for manufacturing purposes of the former naval store buildings at Carfin, in Lanarkshire.

33 and 34. Mr. Timmons

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) when he expects that the former naval store buildings at Carfin, in Lanarkshire, will be ready to be let for industrial purposes;

(2) what progress has been made in the effort to find tenants for the former naval store buildings at Carfin, in Lanarkshire.

Mr. Maudling

The Board of Trade are at present engaged in taking over seven of the Carfin buildings from the Admiralty; as soon as this is completed, the buildings will be leased to the Industrial Estates Management Corporation. The Corporation are already undertaking the preparatory work for converting two of these buildings for immediate industrial use, and it is expected that the buildings will be ready for occupation in the early summer of 1961.

Mr. Lawson

The right hon. Gentleman has not answered my Question. He spoke of being presently engaged in taking them over. Am I to understand that they have been taken over? If these seven buildings have shown themselves so eminently suitable for industrial purposes, will he take over the whole fourteen and see that they are converted for industrial purposes?

Mr. Maudling

The answer to the first question is that, like Parliamentary Answers, legal formalities sometimes take a long time, but we are going as fast as we can. On the second question, we shall do well if we find tenants for all the premises which we are now taking over.

Mr. Fraser

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider giving the Development Corporation the job of finding tenants for these factories? He has said over and over again that the Board of Trade has difficulty in getting tenants for factories in Lanarkshire, whereas the New Town Corporation in East Kilbride seems to have no difficulty in finding them. Have the Board of Trade fallen down on this matter?

Mr. Maudling

I think that the present system is the best. We are receiving the co-operation of the Management Corporation in any way in which it can help us.

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