HC Deb 14 June 1967 vol 748 cc541-3
50. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the continued underlying trend towards increasing unemployment, what plans he has for establishing new publicly-owned and controlled industries in development areas.

Mr. Jay

I have already stated that the vigorous application of my powers under the Industrial Development and Local Employment Acts provides the best means of helping the development areas, and I have recently announced details of a large new programme of publicly-owned advance factories, following four others launched since October. 1964.

Mr. Hamilton

Is my right hon. Friend aware that, while we appreciate what has been and is being done in the development areas, nevertheless there was a specific commitment by the Labour Party in its last election manifesto to this kind of provision? Is he aware that differentiation between the respective development areas and others will not be solved until we take these additional measures?

Mr. Jay

Yes; but the responsibility of my Department consists in building publicly-owned factories in development areas, including advance factories, quite a number of which, by accident, have gone to my hon. Friend's constituency. If my hon. Friend is interested in establishments managed by the nationalised industries, which I should welcome, he should address his question to those of my right hon. Friends responsible for the industries concerned.

Sir K. Joseph

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that while we deplore the breaches of many of the election pledges of right hon. Gentlemen opposite, we are very glad that they have broken this promise?

Mr. Leadbitter

My right hon. Friend will be aware that hon. Members on this side of the House are very appreciative of the vast amount of work which has been done in the special areas, but he should remember what my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) said about the Government's promise. In addition to the advance factory programme, we would like Government action to provide the right kind of industries for the development areas and not merely factories open to any kind of tenant.

Mr. Jay

Yes, but what people want in these areas is increased employment, if possible in industries which are likely to remain there for the long term, but in any case in any industry which is viable and can carry on in the immediate future.

Dame Irene Ward

Would it not be helpful if we had a Minister who could reply on what I would call the detailed aspects and not just skate from factories to nationalised industries and then from nationalised industries to the Ministry of Labour? We can never get a comprehensive answer on which we can assess the position and how we are getting on.

Mr. Jay

I always try to answer the Questions asked.

Mr. Bruce-Gardyne

Would not the Minister agree that from the answer which he gave me last week the number of jobs created by the present Government in advance factories is infinitesimal in Scotland? All the rest have stuck in the pipeline, about which his hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) and the Secretary of State for Scotland used to be so critical.

Mr. Jay

That is incorrect. The hon. Gentleman's mistake is that he fails to see the distinction between advance factories, other publicly-owned factories and private factory projects encouraged and assisted by the Board of Trade.

Mr. Bob Brown

We share the sentiments of my hon. Friends about the efforts of the Board of Trade, but it gives us no pleasure to see an advance factory standing empty for many months. Would not the Minister agree that we would have far better scope for attracting the type of industry we need in the development areas if we had direct State intervention?

Mr. Jay

I am sure that my hon. Friend knows that, of the advance factories completed in the last two years, a high proportion had been let by the time they were completed. The experiment has proved very encouraging.