Motherwell and Wishaw (Hansard, 7 March 1961)

§ 30. Mr. Lawson
asked the President of the Board of Trade what new industrial enterprises planned for Motherwell and Wishaw are likely to be in production by 1962; what is the estimated increase in employment these new enterprises will produce; and what proportion of the new jobs provided will be for youths under 18 years of age.

§ Mr. N. Macpherson
In reply to this Question and Questions Nos. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 50, 51, 55, and 56, I shall give the number of new enterprises— —

§ Mr. Lawson
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
Before I hear the point of order, I wish to hear what the Minister is saying.

§ Mr. Macpherson
I shall give the number of new enterprises, including expansions, likely to be in production by the end of 1962, and the number of jobs which the firms themselves estimated would ultimately be provided. The firms do not supply us with an estimate of the number of youths likely to be employed.
The number of new enterprises in Motherwell and Wishaw is three, including one expansion, and the jobs to be ultimately provided are 250.

§ Mr. Lawson
My point of order, Mr. Speaker, is that there is a host of Questions relating to different parts of Scotland, and it seems quite impossible to deal with them all on this basis. Is it in order for the Minister to treat Scotland in a manner which is less considerate—I do not complain about that, of course—than the manner in which he treated north-east England?

§ Mr. Speaker
Unless I misheard, this is intended to follow the same pattern throughout. There will be individual Answers to Questions but with a protective qualification which the Minister relates to each of the Questions named. I do not think that it is out of order.

§ Mr. T. Fraser
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. The Minister answered Questions about employment prospects in individual constituencies in the north-east of England. Not one of the Questions which he has now lumped together asks about employment prospects in a single constituency. They all refer to whole counties most of which have several constituencies within them. Is it really in order for the Minister to exercise what power he has to lump all these Questions together and, therefore, to fail to give the information which is considered essential for a better consideration of these problems in Scotland?

§ Mr. Speaker
With respect, I do not think that is quite fair. It depends what is meant by the phrase "lumped together". I do not understand that the Minister intended to answer all these Questions in a lump but to give individual answers subject to the qualification which he expressed as applicable to them all. I do not think the House would want the qualification repeated every time. We would never get on.

§ Miss Herbison
Further to that point of order. In Question No. 37 I ask about the new industrial enterprises planned for Lanarkshire. From the reply which the Parliamentary Secretary has given to this series of Questions, I am no wiser about what is the answer to this Question. For that reason— —

§ Mr. Speaker
I do not wish to interrupt the hon. Lady, but I think that I should do so in the interests of other hon. Members. I understand that in due course I shall have the honour of calling the hon. Lady. She will then receive an Answer to Question No. 37. I do not think that the Minister has purported to answer it.

§ Mr. Short
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, you will observe that there are two considerable protests made in Questions on the Order Paper, one from Scotland and one from the much older kingdom of Northumbria. Both protests reveal great concern in those areas. Therefore, should not the President of the Board of Trade be present instead of the Parliamentary Secretary?

§ Mr. Speaker
Some hon. Members do not seem able to distinguish that which is a point of order from that which is not. I do not address my appeal to them. To those who can make the distinction, I hope that we can cease this business of bogus points of order, using up our time.

§ Mr. Lawson
As there are only three new projects in hand, will the Parliamentary Secretary bear in mind that we expect that in 1962 about 1,400 youngsters will be leaving school, an increase of one-third on the 1960 figure? If jobs are to be provided for them, will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that there must be much more sign of new work coming to this area than there has been in the past?

§ Mr. Macpherson
The hon. Gentleman will realise that the jobs to be provided 246 to which I refer will arise from these new enterprises. In the meantime, there is no reason why there should not be considerable expansion within existing industries.