HC Deb 18 June 1964 vol 696 cc1457-8
9. Mr. Boyden

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how many new jobs have so far been created by the operation of the Local Employment Act; and how many others are expected to materialise this year in the Bishop Auckland constituency.

Mr. Heath

Projects being assisted under the Local Employment Acts up to the end of May are expected to provide about 120 additional jobs in the Bishop Auckland constituency. It is estimated that projects for which applications for assistance are still under consideration would provide another 330. In addition, two advance factories have been built with room to employ another 90 people.

Mr. Boyden

Would the right hon. Gentleman care to set the figures against the following ones—that at the beginning of 1960 there were more than 2,000 people unemployed in the area, that since that date 5,500 miners have lost their jobs and that, in addition, there are several closures of factories? How does he expect to cope with the problem in the area with the small figures which he has put forward? Does he expect to fulfil the promises made at the last General Election by the time of the next General Election?

Mr. Heath

The figures which the hon. Gentleman has given show the problem that we face in areas of that kind in bringing in new industry and persuading it to go there. I have given the figures for jobs which are eventually expected, and they should be a considerable help. When one bears in mind the present un- employment figure of 1,483, it is high but these projects should greatly contribute to the solution of the problem.

Mr. Bourne-Arton

While I have no wish to appear to gloat because Darlington, the neighbouring constituency, is in a growth zone whereas the hon. Gentleman's constituency is not, has he noticed that the tremendous developments in both Darlington and Aycliffe, which should accrue in the long run to the interests even of his constituency, are probably better served by having this growth nourished by good communications rather than by any packet development somewhere where industry does not want to go?

Mr. Heath

We have, altogether, offered £133,000 for this area alone for projects and the two advance factories, and some £900,000 for 16 projects on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, where it was recognised that many of the jobs would be filled by people from Bishop Auckland travelling there to work.