§ 23. Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister of Labour what has been the increase in the numbers employed in the gas, electricity and water industries between July, 1966, and the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. HattersleyIt is provisionally estimated that between July, 1966, and April, 1967, there was an increase of about 4,000.
§ Mr. RidleyIs the hon. Member aware that this is the only group of trades in which the numbers in employment appear to have risen in this period? What sort of shake-out is it when people are shaken out from exporting industries into non-exporting nationalised concerns?
§ Mr. HattersleyI am bewildered by the apparent assumption of the hon. Member that the production of gas, electricity, and coal, and the provision of water supplies, does not make a contribution to exports.