HC Deb 24 June 1968 vol 767 cc30-2
47. Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Minister of Technology what industries, for which he has indirect responsibility through the research associations, are now being subjected to technological and economic surveys by his Department; and for what purpose.

Mr. Fowler

A survey of the castings industries in Scotland is being undertaken at the request of the Scottish Economic Planning Council to see what action is needed to stimulate the well being of the industry.

Mr. Osborn

Is it not true that many other firms and industries have been sent questionnaires? What is the cost of all this? How many people are involved? Will consideration be given to the publishing of an annual report by the Ministry of Technology outlining the extent of this work? This is by no means all the work being carried out. Would the Joint Parliamentary Secretary agree?

Mr. Fowler

I am certainly not aware of the numerous questionnaires to which the hon. Member refers. We should certainly be willing to publish a report if we had matters of substance on which to report. Perhaps the hon. Member would like to write to us and tell us to what he is referring.

48. Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Minister of Technology what industries, for which he has responsibility, he has now asked the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation to survey with a view to accelerating rationalisation.

Mr. Benn

My Department has close working relations with the Corporation in regard to the structural problems facing the engineering industries. As the hon. Member is aware, I recently invited the Chairman of the Corporation to advise me on the reorganisation of the nuclear power industry.

Mr. Osborn

Can the Minister state whether he has extended his inquiries and asked the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation to look into other industries, for instance, the machine tool industry? Has he made any specific approach? Can he give an assurance to the contrary?

Mr. Benn

I think the position is that I.R.C. itself has a responsibility to look at the structure of industry, and so, indeed, do we, and we maintain very close contact at work level with the Corporation, maintaining security of information given to the Corporation and to us by industry. In view of the importance of continual contact, I do not believe that we could work it on any other basis. Of course, I.R.C. is departmentally responsible to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.

Mr. Moonman

Would my right hon. Friend not agree, in view of the comments made earlier, that I.R.C. is both commercially aggressive and intelligently organised, and would he not encourage it in trying to encourage possibilities of rationalisation in Europe?

Mr. Benn

I do not think I.R.C, which is a splendid example of public enterprise, needs any encouragement from me.

Mr. David Price

Would the right hon. Gentleman confirm that in the case of the nuclear engineering industry I.R.C. is merely advising the right hon. Gentleman, and that he will act directly with the companies concerned as, for instance, he did over the computer industry, and that I.R.C. has not got the right to produce a whole project, as, for example, it did in the recent scientific instruments case?

Mr. Benn

In the case of the nuclear power industry there are both public agencies like the Atomic Energy Authority and the C.E.G.B. involved as well as the consortia, and therefore any decision involving the industry would need to be a Government decision reached after further discussion with all those parties concerned; but it might well be that in the reorganisation there would be some part which I.R.C. might itself decide to play. I think I must ask the House to await the statement I hope to make on this subject later.