HC Deb 20 December 1962 vol 669 cc1434-5
35. Mr. Lawson

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give powers to the Scottish Industrial Estates Management Corporation to permit that body to promote and run such selected industrial undertakings as the Corporation considers could be successfully developed within its area.

Mr. Erroll

No, Sir.

Mr. Lawson

Since it is obvious that private enterprise has dismally failed to meet the problems of areas like Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland, will the right hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends see that public enterprise is given this task? Will not he see that some new step is taken? Will he take it from hon. Members on this side of the House that unless some new step is taken there will be no way of meeting the problem?

Mr. Erroll

Private enterprise has responded magnificently to the stimulus of the Local Employment Act, 1960. I do not think that publicly-owned manufacturing plants would provide a satisfactory way of trying to provide additional employment in these hard-hit areas. The former Labour Government had a good deal of experience of trying to make articles at Royal Ordnance factories for sale to the public. It was an awful flop.

Mr. Short

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that the provision of £500,000 worth of aid to the North-East is responding magnificently to the stimulus of the Local Employment Act?

Mr. Erroll

I was dealing particularly with Scotland, but some worth-while projects are also going on in the North-East.

Mr. Albu

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that there are a number of worth-while scientific and technological projects which might be fostered by the Government themselves both on a development and on a manufacturing basis, especially in those areas which badly need an injection of scientific skill and technological expertise?

Mr. Erroll

I shall be glad if the hon. Member will give me some details.

Mr. McMaster

In concentrating on schemes for Scotland and the North-East, can my right hon. Friend give me an assurance that Northern Ireland will not be neglected?

Mr. Erroll

I should have thought that the fact that we were able to steer the Michelin Tyres project to Northern Ireland was proof of my sincerity towards Northern Ireland.

Mr. Lawson

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that after all his efforts to stimulate development in the North-East and in Scotland there are in Scotland now many thousand fewer men and boys working than there were when he started these efforts? Will he abandon these efforts and take some new step which may have some success, such as is suggested here?

Mr. Erroll

I am aware of the problem of Scotland, but it would be wrong to abandon this policy and substitute another, because this is the best policy to be devised for this intricate and important task.