§ 25. Mr. Brewisasked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what action he is taking to secure a tenant for the advance factory at Stranraer.
§ Mr. D. PriceI am glad to say that an application for the advance factory at Stranraer has been made and is receiving urgent consideration.
§ Mr. BrewisIs my hon. Friend aware how gratefully that news will be received by the people in the district and how grateful we are to the staff of his Department in Glasgow? Is he aware, however, that there is still a need for more male employment in the district? What is he doing to try to attract further industries there, particularly for the employment of men and, in particular, will he now make Stranraer a growth area?
§ Mr. PriceThe answer to the last part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question is "No, Sir", but to get the scale of the residual problem right it should be remembered that the prospective tenant of this advance factory is likely to provide, initially, 300 jobs—true with a bias towards employment for women—rising to about 500 jobs. The unemployment figure for Stranraer for April, 1964, was 475, so the residual problem is not very great, and the full benefits of the Local Employment Act remain for Stranraer as a development district.