HC Deb 19 December 1968 vol 775 cc1548-9
11. Mr. Hall-Davies

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what studies he has carried out into the employment generated by the payment of regional employment premium as compared with the same payment applied to the improvement of the economic infrastructure; and in respect of which region studies have been made.

Mr. Urwin

It is difficult and to some extent misleading to make comparisons of this kind, but we are keeping the effectiveness of all regional measures under close review.

Mr. Hall-Davis

I trust that the Minister has answered the right Question. Surely his Department cannot expect to be taken seriously as an economic Department until it has made such studies and published the results?

Mr. Urwin

We are constantly studying the whole aspect of employment generated in this field. The hon. Member may be interested to know that there are quite a number of new jobs created as a result of the policies we have in train.

Mr. Tinn

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that the regional employment premium has the great merit of encouraging development of labour-intensive industries in a development area whereas some of the other policies on machinery and so on tend to encourage capital-intensive industry?

Mr. Urwin

Yes. If my hon. Friend will look at the whole field of techno logical development he will see that there is an increasing tendency to increase capital intensive industries. On I.D.C. approvals related to this Question, applicants for the first nine months of this year estimate that the total additional employment to be created when projects are fully manned is almost 55,000 jobs, of which 38,000 are for males. In the comparable period last year the number was 41,000, of which 27,000 were for males. These figures refer only to jobs to which I.D.C. approvals apply.