Regional Employment Premiums (Hansard, 7 July 1970)

§ 1. Mr. Gregor Mackenzie
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an early statement on the future of regional employment premiums.

23. Mr. Bob Brown
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his proposals regarding the regional employment premium.

§ The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Maurice Macmillan)
My right hon. Friend will put before the House the Government's proposals for the future of the regional employment premium at the appropriate time.

§ Mr. Mackenzie
Will the Chief Secretary bear in mind that there are about 55,000 jobs in the pipeline for Scotland at the present time, and many more for the North-East and Wales? The firms concerned based these decisions, presumably, on the factor of regional employment premiums. Will the hon. Gentleman be quite sure that they are given every possible encouragement still to go there and that his decisions will in no way take that incentive away from them?

§ Mr. Macmillan
The Government have, I think, already made quite clear the great importance attached to promoting full employment in the less prosperous areas, and this is what we intend to continue to do.

§ Mr. Bagier
Has the Chief Secretary taken notice of the effect that the withdrawal of the regional employment premium would have on such industries as the shipbuilding industry in the North-East as publicised by, for example, Swan Hunter, and will the Government not take this point into consideration before they withdraw the premium in accordance with the proposals from their Selsdon Park meeting?

§ Mr. Macmillan
The Government have already made it quite clear that the undertakings given will be maintained, and certainly the considerations which the hon. Gentleman mentioned will be borne in mind.