HC Deb 18 November 1963 vol 684 cc606-7
10. Mr. D. Griffiths

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to alleviate the situation caused by the closure of Baker and Bessemer's steel works at Kilnhurst, near Rotherham.

15. Mr. Wainwright

asked the Minister of Labour what plans he has for providing suitable jobs for the 1,000 men and boys who will be declared redundant when the Baker and Bessemer plant is closed down at Kilnhurst.

Mr. Godber

I understand that some 900 jobs are to be offered to these workers at other steel works and that the rundown of the plant is to be phased to facilitate their transfer. The full facilities of my Department will, of course, be available to any workers who need to seek our help.

Mr. Griffiths

Is the Minister aware that his answer is quite unsatisfactory? Is he aware that while it is assumed that this run-down is to be gradual there are men and boys who will have to travel 30 miles to Scunthorpe and elsewhere to find work and will have to shift their homes from the areas where they were bred and born? Is he aware that this will cripple a local authority from the point of view of rateable value? Has he consulted his right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to see whether it is possible to provide some other industry in lieu of this industry?

Mr. Godber

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman does not think this satisfactory. Out of the thousand people involved, 915 are men and there are about 900 vacancies being made available. For some it will mean longer travel, for 250 out of the 900. Although I understand and do not wish to minimise the difficulties confronting these men, I feel that the figure is not quite so bad as he would make it.

Mr. Wainwright

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that time is added to the working shift when a man has to take a job away from his home and that it is the duty of the Government to provide jobs in close proximity to where men live? Has he taken into account that the Swinton local authority will lose one-tenth of its rateable value if this firm is closed down and is not replaced?

Mr. Godber

The last point made by the hon. Gentleman is something which does not come within my ambit. I agree with him about the difficulties confronting people who travel to work, and I do not wish to under-estimate them. There is, however, a substantial number of new jobs which should be available within daily travelling distance. Also, these redundant workers are not too far from the Sheffield area, where there are a number of vacancies.

Mr. Wainwright

Does the right hon. Gentleman take into account that these jobs were available, or were becoming available, before the closing of this particular plant? When these two large steel combines bought this plant about ten months ago, were not the Government aware that they did so with the full intention of closing it solely to make sure that a competitor was kept out?

Mr. Godber

No. The hon. Member should remember that the announcement by the Iron and Steel Holding Realisation Agency of the sale said that the future prospects of these companies must depend on the demand for these products. That was said at the time, and 1 think it was recognised that, in whatever ownership the works were, the prospects for employment were not good.