§ 12. Mr. Shinwellasked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what is the estimated number of persons likely to be employed as a result of the recommendations of the Lord President of the Council in the administrative county of Durham in the years 1964 and 1965.
§ Mr. Denzil FreethIt is not possible to estimate the total number of additional jobs which will arise, still less how many will arise in a particular year, as a result of measures the Government have announced or of those which they will announce over the coming months.
§ Mr. ShinwellSo at last we have got from the hon. Gentleman the clear answer that he does not know how many jobs will be provided in the course of the next two years. Is he aware that this question has, been asked frequently and that varying estimates have been furnished by right hon. Members opposite? For example, last week the President of the Board of Trade told me that as a result of ten advance factories which are in contemplation and in course of construction 1,100 jobs would be provided? How is it that the hon. Gentleman does not know?
§ Mr. FreethThe Question which the right hon. Gentleman asked my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade was slightly different from the one he put on the Order Paper today. The answer to his question must obviously be that in the area as a whole the number would be in excess of 1,100 mentioned by the President of the Board of Trade.
§ Mr. ShinwellPresumably the hon. Gentleman speaks for the Government—or does he?—or for his noble Friend. Is it not clear from his original Answer that the Government are not in a position to give an estimate of the number of jobs which will be provided in the next couple of years?
§ Mr. FreethI am not in a position to give a definite figure because it is likely that the only figure I would give would be exceeded.