HC Deb 09 December 1971 vol 827 cc1476-7
2. Mr. Whitehead

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for dealing with the unemployment situation in Derby.

The Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Dudley Smith)

The Government have already taken steps to help Derby: particularly by the assistance given to Rolls-Royce. Derby will also benefit from the various measures we have taken to stimulate investment, output and employment in the country as a whole. The officers of my Department will continue to give every assistance to unemployed people seeking new jobs.

Mr. Whitehead

Is the Minister aware that in the past 18 months unemployment in Derby has risen by 75 per cent. that it is most deep-seated among skilled designers, technicians and craftsmen and that there is unlikely to be any improvement in the general situation of deep-seated unemployment in constituencies represented by many of my hon. Friends unless the employment multiplier is got going by special measures in areas of high technology like Derby?

Mr. Smith

No one would wish to minimise the seriousness of the situation. We do not like to see unemployment anywhere, but in Derby the unemployment figure is 3.6 per cent. which is lower than the national average, and in the circumstances we can look for further improvements.

Mr. Rost

Is it not disgraceful that the hon. Member for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead) should be criticising the Government when they have saved many thousands of jobs in Derby by supporting the Rolls-Royce programme? Have not nearly all those who were displaced now found alternative employment?

Mr. Smith

Yes, Sir. My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Of the 1,787 workers affected by redundancies at Derby earlier this year, only 216 remained to be placed last month.