§ 10. Mr. Rossasked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated cost of telehonic cables for the current financial year; and how much of this will be spent in Scotland.
§ Miss PikeMy right hon. Friend expects to spend about £14 million on the purchase of telephone cables in the current financial year, of which approximately £150,000 will be spent on orders placed in Scotland.
§ Mr. RossEven on the Goschen formula this would not be counted as very satisfactory. Will the hon. Lady give a good example and ensure that, wherever possible and all other things being equal, these contracts are placed where employment is urgently needed, since this would encourage other Departments to do the same and assist the Government in their proclaimed policy in regard to employment?
§ Miss PikeI assure the hon. Gentleman that we do that. There is one difficulty in regard to telephone cables in that there is only one cable manufacturer in Scotland.
§ Mr. RankinThen get another.
§ 11. Mr. Willisasked the Postmaster- General what is the estimated expenditure on Post Office uniforms in 1962; and what percentage of this will be spent in Scotland.
§ Miss PikeMy right hon. Friend expects to spend about £l¼ million on Post Office uniforms in the current financial year. About 13 per cent. of this will be spent on orders placed in Scotland.
§ 12. Mr. Lawsonasked the Postmaster-General what percentage of Post Office telephonic equipment is manufactured in Scotland.
§ Mr. LawsonDoes not the hon. Lady agree that a large Government spending Department ought to use some of its spending power to help the Government in their overall policy? Private firms do this sort of thing; they ask other firms to do what they want them to do. Could not the Post Office see to it that it used its spending power to ensure that there was a more equitable distribution 198 of the type of industry about which we are all concerned?
§ Miss PikeI appreciate the point the hon. Gentleman makes. Perhaps he will remember that, small though it is, the proportion is twice as large as it was when he asked the question last time.
§ 15. Mr. Gourlayasked the Postmaster-General what is the average annual expenditure on Post Office mail collecting boxes; and what percentage of this is spent in Scotland.
§ Miss PikeAverage annual expenditure over the past five years has been £65,000, Sixty-six per cent. of this has been spent on orders placed in Scotland.
§ Mr. GourlayI am glad to hear of the larger percentage in respect of these articles compared with some of the others mentioned today, but is the hon. Lady aware that many people who were previously employed in the foundry industry in Scotland are at present unemployed? Could not she assist her right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade and the Secretary of State for Scotland in placing still more orders in Scotland?
§ Sir Richard PilkingtonIn view of all these Questions today, could not Scotland be given colonial status?