§ 14. Mr. Chetwyndasked the President of the Board of Trade how many inquiries he has received since 16th February, 1961, regarding the tenancy of the empty Government-financed factory at Stockton-on-Tees.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonNone since I replied to the hon. Member's Question on 16th February.
§ Mr. ChetwyndIs it not a shocking waste of public money that this large factory should be standing idle when it could be used for engineering, thus employing some of the people in constituencies adjoining Stockton-on-Tees, about which Questions have been asked today? Is it not wrong for the Minister to give false hopes to the people in Durham about 14,000 jobs, when that figure is based on estimates of employers, who always double the number they think they will employ in order to get the Government interested? When will this factory be allocated to a tenant?
§ Mr. MacphersonI do not agree with the second part of the supplementary question. On the first part, it is not a waste of public money, as the factory is still on lease to its previous tenant.
§ Mr. ChetwyndAlthough the factory is on lease and the rent is being paid, it is standing idle when it could be used for industrial purposes, thus helping our position in the export market. What priority is the hon. Gentleman giving to this? Is he satisfied merely to receive the rent and see the place going to rot?
§ Mr. MacphersonThe hon. Gentleman must realise that this factory has an area of 150,000 square feet. It is not easy to find tenants for a factory of that size.