HC Deb 19 February 1963 vol 672 cc230-1
36 and 37. Mr. Slater

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he is aware that owing to the lack of orders at the Furness shipbuilding yard more men are to be given notice; and what assistance his department will give to offset this redundancy;

(2) if he is aware that the percentage of unemployed in Billingham is 7.8 per cent; and whether he will schedule Billingham as a development area.

Mr. D. Price

Billingham is in the Tees-side group of employment exchange areas, where the rate of wholly unemployed in January was 6.3 per cent. My right hon. Friend is also aware that the Furness Shipbuilding Company have recently declared 700 redundancies to take place during February. As I said to the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, East (Mr. Bottomley) on 12th February, my right hon. Friend is considering whether he would be justified in listing the Tees-side area as a development district under the Local Employment Act.

Mr. Slater

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that if these 700 men do finish work within the next week or two the unemployment figure on Tees-side, in Billingham and Haverton Hill in particular, will be seriously affected? Is he further aware that the Furness shipbuilding yard gives work not only to people in the Billingham and Haverton Hill areas but also to men from Middlesbrough and Stockton and the Hartle-pools? Should not the Board of Trade take drastic action about this position?

Mr. Price

I can assure the hon. Member that those considerations are very much in my right hon. Friend's mind.

Mr. Awbery

Can the hon. Gentleman say what British tonnage is now under construction in foreign yards and whether any steps are being taken by the Government to persuade British shipowners to have their ships built in this country and not abroad?

Mr. Price

Perhaps the hon. Member will put down a Question. That does not arise from this Question.

Mr. Bottomley

Will the hon. Gentleman explain why there are these continual delays? What is holding up the scheduling of Tees-side, where there is persistent high unemployment?

Mr. Price

I prefer not to say anything more today.

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