§ 37. Mr. MacArthurasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on the progress made since 1965 towards achieving the employment targets set in the Scottish Economy, Command Paper No. 2864.
§ Mr. RossI have nothing to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 4th December last.—[Vol. 774, c. 1502–3.]
§ Mr. MacArthurDoes the right hon. Gentleman accept that there has been no progress but a total collapse of the policies expressed in the White Paper? Is he aware that in order to achieve the forecasts he needs to produce 90,000 extra new jobs in Scotland by next year, which is three times as many as are now in the pipeline? What is he doing to meet the target?
§ Mr. RossThe hon. Gentleman is once again indulging in his usual aggressive hyperbole and ignoring all the facts and statements that have been made. We are in fact proceeding with the redevelopment and the growth of industry in Scotland at a far greater rate than ever the previous Administration did. Had we accepted the advice of the Leader of the Opposition, we would be spending less and providing fewer jobs.
§ Mr. YoungerIs the Secretary of State not forgetting that his record over the past four years is that he has achieved a net drop in the number of jobs at the rate of 7,000 a year? Does he not think that this is shameful compared with the net gain of 7,000 a year between 1960 and 1964?
§ Mr. RossIn the last four years of the Government to which the hon. Gentleman is allied, although he was not here, the potential employment provided was 54,600 jobs. In our four years it is 84,300.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellHow does the Secretary of State explain that the trend over the last two years has been quite different from what he forecast in the White Paper referred to in the Question?
§ Mr. RossThe trend has not been quite different—[HON. MEMBERS: "It has."] The hon. Gentleman should appreciate that he is trying to draw simple conclusions from a very complex situation.
Earl of DalkeithWhy does the right hon. Gentleman continue to ignore the simple fact that there are now fewer people in employment in Scotland than there were when he took office four years ago?
§ Mr. RossThis is because the working population has decreased, due to there now being more old people, more students, and more youngsters at school. There are now 6,000 more full-time students than there were before.
§ Mr. James HamiltonIs my right hon. Friend aware that one factory in my constituency requires 300 female workers but cannot get them? Is my right hon. Friend aware that since we came to power the increase in the number of electronic industries in Lanarkshire as a whole has been astronomical? On behalf of my constituency I say, "Thank you".
§ Mr. RossI do not think there is the slightest doubt that the Scottish economy is stronger today than at any time under hon. Gentlemen opposite. If they were to look at the figures published in the Press this morning about the shipbuilding industry they would be able to talk about facts, rather than use their imagination.