§ 23. Mr. W. T. Rodgersasked the President of the Board of Trade what the timetable will be for the construction of the advance factory at Stockton recently announced; and how many men and women it will provide employment for.
§ Mr. GreenMy right hon. Friend hopes that the advance factory at Stockton-on-Tees will be available for occupation early in 1964. On average about forty workers are employed in a factory of 10,000 sq. ft.
§ Mr. RodgersWhile clearly we must be grateful for small mercies, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether the Board 404 of Trade does not appreciate that jobs for forty will make a very small impact when more than 2,000 are still out of jobs in Stockton? Is the fact that this factory will not be opened for at least a year an indication that the Government believe that the present high level of unemployment will persist as long as that?
§ Mr. GreenThe last part of the hon. Member's supplementary question is not a warrantable inference. This factory has been planned, it will be built, and is part of a continuing policy. I think that is the only way in which I can answer the last part of his supplementary question. As he knows, the other thing to which he referred is being done in a constructive effort to revive industrial activity in the whole of the North-East. He and I, I am sure, both hope that these will succeed.
§ Mr. RodgersIf this is part of a continuing policy, surely this factory should have been built a year, or two or three years, ago in anticipation of the present situation. If policy is to be projected to the future, surely the Government ought not to be building a factory for forty, but factories to accommodate 400 to deal with the situation which will arise, not only in Stockton but in neighbouring areas, through the reduction of the employment force of I.C.I. at Billingham by 50 per cent. in the next five years?
§ Mr. GreenI appreciate the hon. Member's fears an anxieties, but I am sure he will agree that it is not helpful if we merely seek to foster fears. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] What we are seeking to do is to pursue a consistent policy first of attracting new industry, private industry, to the North-East. We are building advance factories in accordance with an announced plan. This particular one will go up on time and there is no reason why it should not. All the other things being done for the North-East will, I hope, be borne in mind by the hon. Member.