§ 14. Mr. Gordon Walkerasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will seek powers to inform himself when any factory becomes vacant with a view to finding a tenant for it.
§ Mr. Gordon WalkerI hope that the right hon. Gentleman will reconsider this point. Is he not aware that there is a disturbing new development and 1712 that even in the middle of the prosperous Midlands factory sites are now standing empty for quite considerable times, particularly in and around my constituency? This is a new development which is disquieting and needs attention, and I do not see how the President of the Board of Trade can give attention to it unless he takes powers to collect the facts about it.
§ Mr. ErrollWe do keep registers of vacant factories in development districts, and all the resources of my Department are devoted to securing occupants for those factories. It would be quite another matter to get a nation-wide register of all vacant factories. Some of them remain unoccupied for long periods in prosperous areas because the owners stand out for higher prices to get the best possible value for them and I.D.Cs are not required.
§ Mr. Gordon WalkerIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I am not asking him for a register of every factory but to take powers to do this where there is a new and rather disturbing development which was not anticipated, of the kind now going on in my constituency?
§ Mr. ErrollNo, but informally we have a pretty idea of what sort of factories are becoming vacant all over the country.
§ Mr. LoughlinWill the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is equally desirable to have a list of vacant factories in areas which, while not scheduled as development districts, are areas in which his Ministry will give industrial development certificates?
§ Mr. ErrollNo, I should not like to go further than what I have already said today. I think we should concentrate on our efforts to get vacant factories in development districts filled as soon as possible.