§ 8. Sir D. Robertsonasked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the British pharmaceutical industry production is located in Scotland and in England and Wales, respectively, expressed in output and sales value.
§ Mr. ErrollAt the last detailed Census of Production, which related to 1958, 7 per cent. of the value of sales of the pharmaceutical industry arose in Scotland and the balance in England and Wales.
§ Sir D. RobertsonAre these figures not most revealing? Does it not show the Board of Trade in an extremely bad light that 93 per cent. of this industry, which would be a"natural" in the Highlands of Scotland, is in the monsters of London, Coventry, Birmingham and the South-West? Will the right hon. Gentleman begin to use his strong negative powers?
§ Mr. ErrollMy powers to withhold industrial development certificates in areas of congestion and prosperity are very strongly exercised, but 7 per cent. of the value of sales of the pharmaceutical industry compares with about 8 per cent. of sales of all manufacturing industry in Scotland.
§ Mr. JayQuite apart from negative powers, as the Government are presumably the biggest customers of the industry, would it not be a good thing for the Government to use their buying powers to steer industry into development districts as a whole?
§ Mr. ErrollThat is quite another question.