26. Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Minister of Labour how many people were unemployed in Scotland at the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many unfilled vacancies existed in Scotland on that date.
§ Mr. FernyhoughAt November, 1967, there were 83,200 registered as wholly unemployed and 2,700 as temporarily 907 stopped; 14,400 notified vacancies remained unfilled.
Mr. TaylorAs a good number of these were in shipbuilding, and as two Clyde yards are building their last ships, with no Orders to come, will the hon. Gentleman agree that we cannot afford to turn down valuable and major Orders from South Africa, and will he tell his right hon. Friend so?
§ Mr. FernyhoughIf the future of the British shipbuilding industry has to depend upon orders of that kind alone, then it has no future—[Interruption.] But I believe that the Clyde, the Tyne, the Mersey and the rest of the British shipyards are in a better position today, as a result of what this Government have done, to obtain a greater proportion of the world's new ships.
§ Mr. Hector HughesCan my hon. Friend specify where these unemployed are and what are the areas where there are unfilled vacancies?
§ Mr. FernyhoughNot without notice. I have given the figure for the whole of Scotland.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneWill the hon. Gentleman confirm that he cleared the first part of his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) with the Cabinet?
§ Mr. FernyhoughNo. The hon. Gentleman asked for my opinion and I gave it.
§ 34. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Minister of Labour what was the number of persons in employment in Scotland in October, 1964, and at the latest available date; and what percentage change this represented.
§ Mr. FernyhoughEstimates of the total numbers employed in Scotland were made at mid-year only up to June, 1965, and subsequently at quarterly intervals.
Between June, 1964, and March, 1967, the latest date for which information is available, the numbers decreased by 1.1 per cent. from 2,132,000 to 2,108,000.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneIs it not deplorable that we do not have more up-to-date figures? These figures are already six months late and they show a very unsatisfactory trend under the present Government. Should we not 908 have something more up to date to show how much worse the Situation has become since March?
§ Mr. FernyhoughI do not know whether that is possible, but we will look into it.
§ Mr. RankinCould my hon. Friend say how far that reduction has been affected by the advance of technological industry in Scotland?
§ Mr. FernyhoughNo. I would say, quite frankly, that much of this reduction is a consequence of the neglect of Scotland over the years.
§ 54. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Minister of Labour if he will seek powers to enable him to ensure that men trained in engineering in Government training centres in Scotland are not prevented from taking employment for which their training has qualified them by union regulations.
§ Mr. HattersleyWe are not aware of any union regulations which prevent the employment of men trained in Government training centres in their training trades. We have the co-operation at national level of the unions concerned in the acceptance of men trained in engineering, but there are restrictions in a few areas including parts of Scotland. We are continuing our efforts to overcome these by persuasion, through the good Offices of the T.U.C. and the executives of the unions concerned.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneIs the hon. Member aware that that is a pretty unsatisfactory answer, in the light of the correspondence that I have sent to his right hon. Friend? Will he study that correspondence again and confirm that this shows a disgraceful Situation persisting in this matter in eastern Scotland?
§ Mr. HattersleyI am aware of the correspondence that the hon. Member has sent to my right hon. Friend. The difficulties that I outlined in my Answer occur in areas within the hon. Member's constituency—
§ Mr. Maxwell-HyslopOn a point of order. Is it in order for the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) to be on his feet at the same time as the Minister?
§ Mr. SpeakerIt is not in order.
§ Mr. HattersleyCertainly the Problems to which the hon. Member referred occur in certain parts of his constituency, but the letter that he wrote to my right hon. Friend did not include an entirely accurate description of the position.