HC Deb 02 July 1963 vol 680 cc175-6
7. Mr. Prentice

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the discussions he has had recently with the chairmen of leading industrial companies in order to try to persuade them to establish new projects in the development districts and in Northern Ireland; and how many promises he has received of new projects to be started in these areas.

Mr. Erroll

The series of meetings with the chairmen of leading companies is still proceeding and will not be completed until the autumn. It is too early to draw conclusions from the discussions already held.

Mr. Prentice

Is it impossible for the right hon. Gentleman to make some kind of interim report to the House, bearing in mind that three months ago he said that he would do this and at that time it was stressed that there was a sense of urgency about it? Have the discussions led to any promises of new projects? If so, how many jobs are involved?

Mr. Erroll

Naturally, I want to tell the House as much as possible. I have considered whether it would be valuable to give an interim report, but I thought it more satisfactory that the series of meetings should be completed before I made a report. The meetings so far held have been useful and valuable, and some projects have been discussed which I hope will bear fruit.

Mr. Steele

Has the right hon. Gentleman anything to offer these industrialists? Is he proposing, for instance, to say to them that he is prepared to agree to pay the cost of transfer of their industry from the present area to the new industrially developing areas?

Mr. Erroll

One of the objects of the exercise, as I announced in my speech following the Budget statement, was to make quite certain that industry was fully alive to the new benefits announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and to discuss with them any practical matters which might arise from that. I can say that industrialists are fully alive to the benefits available and, of course, in connection with the transfer of factories, the benefits not only of the Local Employment Bill, which is going through the House now, but of the Local Employment Act which, in suitable cases, can be used in connection with transfer costs.

Mr. McMaster

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind, during the remainder of the discussions, that Northern Ireland unfortunately still has by far the highest unemployment figures in the United Kingdom?

Mr. Erroll

I had a very useful and friendly visit to Ulster about eleven days ago when I was able to have informal discussions on the seriousness of the Ulster unemployment problem.