HC Deb 13 May 1963 vol 677 cc926-8
10 and 11. Mr. Pentland

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, (1) what employment opportunities he expects will accrue for juveniles in the North-East during 1963, as a result of the recommendations of the Lord President of the Council;

(2) what employment opportunities he expects will accrue for adults in the North-East, during 1963, as a result of the recommendations of the Lord President of the Council.

Mr. Denzil Freeth

My noble Friend anticipates that a considerable increase in employment both for juveniles and for adults will result from the various decisions taken to assist the North-East. But he cannot now estimate how much of this increase will arise in 1963.

Mr. Pentland

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that, despite everything he has said and despite everything the Government are doing, if migration from the North-East is to be halted and if provision is to be made for school leavers and men who will lose jobs in industries such as mining, shipbuilding and railways, almost 70,000 additional jobs will be needed in the next twelve months? How does his noble Friend intend to deal with this tremendous problem?

Mr. Freeth

Decisions taken now, when the year is already more than a quarter over, can only have a marginal effect on unemployment during the remainder of the year. It is the decisions which the Government have already taken which will affect employment prospects during 1963. I would remind the hon. Gentleman of the Admiralty shipbuilding orders worth £10 million, the £400,000 extension of roadworks and the increase in investment by the electricity boards in the North-East, as well as in other areas of high unemployment, to indicate that we have already taken steps to provide more employment in this area.

Mr. Short

Will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether his noble Friend has gone into the question of the number of jobs needed each year over the next four or five years to take up known redundancy and expected redundancy? Could he give the figure to which the Government are working and the number of jobs needed?

Mr. Freeth

If the hon. Gentleman will put down a specific Question, I will do my best to answer it.

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