HC Deb 07 March 1961 vol 636 cc231-3
11. Mr. Shinwell

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many of the 14,500 jobs promised for the County of Durham during the next few years will be made available within the exchange areas of the Easington constituency.

Mr. N. Macpherson

About 290.

Mr. Shinwell

Is the Minister aware that that is not enough? Is he not impressed by this demonstration? Is he aware that if he does not get a move on we shall be on his tail until he does?

Mr. Macpherson

I can assure the right hon. Member that we are as anxious as he is to bring new industry to the area.

Mr. C. Osborne

Will my hon. Friend say what deep sympathy he has with all those who naturally are anxious about unemployment in their constituencies? Also will he say to them that, in a free society, no Government can guarantee full employment since we cannot compel the foreigner to buy British when he will not buy our exports?

Mr. Macpherson

I think that there is a very great deal in what my hon. Friend has said. I hope that I did not express any lack of sympathy with hon. Members who have asked these Questions.

Mr. Pentland

On a point of order. Is it in order for a back bencher to answer for a Parliamentary Secretary?

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point of order. I hope that we may get on with Questions.

Mr. Shinwell

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that if the Local Employment Act is not sufficient to enable suitable employment to be found for people who need it, something ought to be done by the Government either to revise or amend the Act in some way, or to introduce new legislation?

Mr. Macpherson

The Act has been in force for less than a year. I think it fair to let the Act prove itself for a little time yet, at any rate.

Mr. Jay

Are the Government now, like the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. C. Osborne), abandoning the assurances of full employment contained in the 1944 White Paper?

Mr.. Macpherson

By no means. Unemployment on the average has remained at a consistently low level, and even in Durham the unemployment level is lower than it was a year ago.