HC Deb 01 August 1963 vol 682 cc637-8
31. Mr. McMaster

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Government have spent on the relief of unemployment in each of the last three years in Scotland, Wales, the North-East Coast and Northern Ireland, respectively.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

This Question covers a very wide range of measures taken by a number of Departments and involves very large sums of money. It has not been possible in the time available to assemble full details, but I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

Mr. McMaster

I hope that my right hon. Friend will be able to write to me before the debate starts this afternoon. Is he satisfied with the proportion of the gross national product that is being spent on bringing these unproductive national resources of labour and machinery into production? Is he aware that if he brought them into production it would benefit the country as a whole?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

My hon. Friend can hardly expect me to write to him retrospectively, but when he gets what I am afraid will be a very lengthy letter from me he will see that this is a massive and well-conceived effort.