§ 29. Mr. Shinwellasked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of Mineworkers registered at employment exchanges in Durham, Northumberland and Cumberland, respectively.
§ Mr. FernyhoughAt 11th March, 1968, the numbers of persons registered as unemployed in Durham, Northumberland and Cumberland who last worked in the coalmining industry were 3,580, 1,060 and 120 respectively.
§ Mr. ShinwellOn the assumption that the majority of these men can be regarded as redundant, what is to become of them? There is nothing personal about this, but, in his reply, will my hon. Friend disregard all the jargon about advance factories and hopes for the future?
§ Mr. FernyhoughSeveral major industries have declared since January that they are going to the North-East, in particular, and we are designating as special development areas those areas in which mines have been closed. If my right hon. Friend believes that that is jargon, then may I say that I do not believe that any Government, even the Government of which he was a member, did more for the areas which require additional employment than this one.