§ 29. Mr. Alisonasked the Minister of Power to what extent he estimates that the exclusion of development areas from certain of the Government's restrictive economic measures will retard the redeployment of manpower from uneconomic pits.
§ Mr. AlisonDoes that mean that the right hon. Gentleman expects that redeployment of manpower from uneconomic pits will continue, thus swelling the ranks of the potentially unemployed in non-development areas?
§ Mr. MarshRedeployment has not so far increased unemployment in those 1428 areas, and there is no reason why it should do so in future. At the moment, there is a shortage of coal miners in some pits and a surplus in others. What we are trying to do is to move them from the one to the other.
§ Mr. CorfieldDoes not the right hon. Gentleman's Answer imply that potentially productive and profitable pits will fare worse than potentially unprofitable pits under the credit squeeze?
§ Mr. PeytonThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered this very important Question. Does he not think that the whole of recently announced Government policy will have the effect of prejudicing the position in the East Midlands and Yorkshire, where it is absolutely vital to get men?
§ Mr. MarshNot at all. I should have thought that it would do the contrary. There are jobs in pits within the East Midlands and Yorkshire and we passionately want men to take those jobs.