§ 25. Mr. Sheldonasked the Minister of Technology what further powers he will be seeking to assist in the modernisation of industry.
§ Mr. BennMy Department was set up to establish a sound working partnership with industry. If this were to necessitate further powers I should have to seek them.
§ Mr. SheldonIs my right hon. Friend aware that technical mergers of the kind which we have recently seen between English-Electric and Elliot Automation need to be increased and that there seems to be a gap between the encouragement offered by the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation and the power which my right hon. Friend possesses? Can he suggest how he can close this gap?
§ Mr. BennThe I.R.C. is a matter for my right hon. Friend the First Secretary. As to the rôle of the Ministry of Technology in mergers, we are, of course, engaged in major discussions involving the aircraft industry, on the one hand, and, in the case of shipbuilding, by the use of an industrial board for the purpose. I said in the debate on the Shipbuilding Industry Bill that I thought that the development of a board for that sort of purpose might prove to be interesting.