HC Deb 09 April 1963 vol 675 cc1076-7
23. Mr. Steele

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer where and when contracts are being placed for the £2 million worth of diesel locomotives and wagon ferries which he has promised to the East African Common Services Organisation.

24. Mr. Small

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer where and when contracts are being placed for the £2 million work of sugar machinery which he has promised as additional aid to Pakistan from under-utilised resources in Britain.

25. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer where contracts are to be placed for the £3½ million of steel plates and other steel products which he has promised as additional aid to India from under-utilised resources in Britain; and when they will be awarded.

Mr. Maudling

The placing of these contracts is the responsibility of the Governments receiving the loans. I understand that the diesel locomotives are to be ordered from the English Electric Company at Darlington. The suppliers of the wagon ferries, the sugar machinery, and the steel plates and other steel products are not yet decided. It is in each case a condition of the loan that the contract must be placed in the United Kingdom within a short time.

Mr. Steele

While welcoming the concept and idea behind the Chancellor's intention to use surplus capacity where unemployment exists, may I ask whether he will reconsider the matter concerning diesel locomotives and enable British Railways, who have a lot of surplus capacity, to use their workshops for supplying diesel locomotives abroad?

Mr. Maudling

That question goes into fairly wide considerations of transport policy, which have been discussed on many occasions. There is, however, capacity in the private enterprise industry, which has been equipped over a long period to meet overseas orders.

Mr. Small

With regard to sugar machinery, to which Question No. 24 refers, will the Chancellor make the maximum information available in Scotland so as to provide an opportunity for tenders to be submitted in time?

Mr. Maudling

Yes, Sir, we will do our best to ensure that. I believe that Scotland is rather good at making this type of machinery.

Mr. Dalyell

Will the right hon. Gentleman prepare some sort of industrial intinerary for visiting delegations from India and East Africa?

Mr. Maudling

The people who purchase on behalf of those Governments are, I believe, well aware of the capacity which is available in this country.

Mr. Dalyell

Will the Chancellor tell them which firms they should visit?

Mr. Maudling

No. It would be quite wrong for the Government to do that. The firms should compete for the orders. The House will, I think, find that in the case of steel plates and other items, the firms with capacity to meet this sort of requirement are almost all within development districts.

Mr. Steele

Surely, the right hon. Gentleman is defeating his purpose if he refuses to give this information. Is it not true that his idea is to use surplus capacity in the development districts? Surely, he should produce some kind of guide to enable firms to go to these places.

Mr. Maudling

I am certainly happy that the Board of Trade would be willing to give any information on the subject. I should have thought that the Indian Government would know perfectly well who were the makers of steel plates in this country and who, by and large, are to be found in the North-East and in Scotland.