§ 27. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the President of the Board of Trade how many new jobs are currently in prospect in the Central West Fife area covering the employment exchange areas of Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline, and Inverkeithing; and to what extent such jobs will reduce existing male unemployment.
§ Mrs. Gwyneth DunwoodyIn the three exchange areas of Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline and Inverkeithing, there are 1,750 jobs in prospect, of which 850 are for males. These are expected to arise during the next few years in authorised new industrial developments and in existing premises taken over by manufacturing firms. This does not include any estimate in respect of advance factories not yet allocated. The total male registered unemployment in the three exchange areas in October, 1967, was 1,190.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs my hon. Friend aware that an intolerable discrepancy has developed in the past 10 years between the number of male jobs provided and the number of male jobs lost, principally in the mining industry? Can she give an assurance that in future the new policies 1306 will remove, or at least reduce, that discrepancy?
§ Mrs. DunwoodyMy hon. Friend will be pleased to know that four Board of Trade advance factories, which will materially assist the situation, are under construction in the three employment exchange areas. We are making every effort to assist these areas, because we realise that they have particular employment difficulties.