HC Deb 25 June 1963 vol 679 cc1123-4
29. Mr. Bence

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to reacquire the industrial site in Clydebank now held by Messrs. Ingersoll, Rand Ltd.

Mr. Green

None, Sir. There would be no advantage in re-acquiring the site until a development were in prospect.

Mr. Bence

Is not the situation intolerable that this company has held this site for five or six years but seems to have no intention of using it? It is a little bit of Scotland, as I have said before. Will the hon. Gentleman reacquire it so that some industrialist wishing to start up in Clydebank can use the site?

Mr. Green

I can assure the hon. Gentleman—this was implicit in my Answer to his original Question—that of course we would consider reacquiring the site for any firm likely to provide employment commensurate with its size, but so far we just do not have such a prospect.

Mr. Ross

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that in a recent Report of the Estimates Committee it was suggested that this was just what we should do—have sites ready in advance to show people?

Mr. Green

I have already said that the site is there and would be reacquired if there were a reasonable prospect of using it. Meantime, no doubt the lessee is paying the rent.