HC Deb 19 February 1969 vol 778 cc439-40
1. Mr. Alison

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution was made by all Royal Ornance Factories and the Royal Ordnance Factory, Barn-bow, respectively, to Great Britain's export earnings in 1967 and 1968.

The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Army (Mr. James Boyden)

Royal Ordnance Factories administered by the Ministry of Defence completed export work worth £4,628,000 during the financial year 1967–68. As export orders are often spread over several factories it would be misleading and invidious to quote figures for individual factories.

Mr. Alison

Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that the figure of £4 million out of an R.O.F. turnover of over £40 million is a modest percentage? Will he ensure that these factories, particularly Barnbow, do not offer extraordinary inducements to skilled engineering labour, such as Sunday overtime, so that export firms nearby are starved of labour?

Mr. Boyden

This is very much in mind in the Royal Ordnance Factories and is being done.

2. Mr. Alison

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what future increases or decreases in work loads for the existing Royal Ordnance Factories he estimates will result from the Government's current defence plans and policies.

Mr. Boyden

None in the next few years.

Mr. Alison

How is this so, in view of the forecast made by the Secretary of State that defence expenditure is going to decline substantially? Does this mean that the Royal Ordnance Factories are to be kept open doing civil work when they might do better to release skilled engineering labour for work elsewhere?

Mr. Boyden

There is a considerable possibility that the competitiveness of these factories will enable them to take a bigger share of Service orders and exports also may be increased. It is also hoped that civil work will increase.

Mr. Ramsden

Are the Government planning any large scale rationalisation of the whole organisation of Royal Ordnance Factories consequent upon the decision to run down the Armed Forces?

Mr. Boyden

They are under constant review and every attempt is being made to improve their efficiency.