§ 19. Mr. Dempseyasked the Postmaster-General if he will set up a Post Office factory in North Lanarkshire, for the repair and maintenance of telephone and telecommunication instruments; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MawbyNo, Sir. We are anxious to help the development areas as much as we can, but Post Office factories in their existing localities at London, Birmingham, South Wales and Edinburgh are expected to be adequate for all the foreseeable factory repair work. Minor repairs and maintenance work are usually done locally.
§ Mr. DempseyIs the hon. Gentleman not aware that the Edinburgh factory does not touch the bulk of telephone repair work? Does he realise that there are over 800,000 telephone users in Scotland, and that when telephones need major overhauls they have to go on a circuitous journey of 1,000 miles to Wales and back? Is it not in everybody's interest to site a factory which 1237 will give employment to this area in North Lanarkshire which is both a development and a growth area?
§ Mr. MawbyWe have excess repair capacity so far as factory space and labour are concerned, but I will bear in mind the hon. Gentleman's point.