HC Deb 11 August 1966 vol 733 cc1872-3
36. Dame Irene Ward

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to maintain the Blyth Shipyard similar to those taken to protect the productive capacity of Fairfields in Scotland.

Mr. Jay

The position of these two shipyards is very different and I do not consider that Government intervention would be justified in this case.

Dame Irene Ward

In view of the fact that the Blyth Shipyard closure has caused great consternation to those on Tyneside, is it not possible to do on the Tyne what it is possible to do on the Clyde? Does it matter that the two yards are vastly different if both are producing a great deal of employment? I cannot believe that the right hon. Gentleman is going to allow unemployment in shipbuilding to develop on the Tyne, having regard to our past.

Mr. Jay

Of course, when we acted to save the Fairfield Yard we were violently opposed by the hon. Lady's Front Bench opposite.

Dame Irene Ward

I do not care about that either.

Mr. Jay

I rather thought that would be the response. However, there really is a major difference, in that the Fairfield Yard was a major yard with a large modern plant and with a large number of orders, and the circumstances in this case, although I very much regret the closure, really are different.