§ Q2. Mr. Walter Johnsonasked the Prime Minister if he will now pay an official visit to Derby.
§ The Prime MinisterI have at present no plans to do so.
§ Mr. JohnsonIn that case, will the Prime Minister agree to meet a deputation of school leavers and parents, who would like to talk to him about the difficult problem of finding jobs for these school leavers, whose position has not been exaggerated? There are in Derby 1,700 school leavers. Perhaps 600 may stay at school, but it is quite clear that many hundreds will be without jobs for weeks and months. Is the Prime Minister aware that this is a direct result of the Government's policies?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is not at all clear whether what the hon. Gentleman says bears any resemblance to reality. The position is not due to Government policies. The policies of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, both in his Budget and in his announcement yesterday, are designed to improve the position. The position would have been considerably worse had not the Government taken steps to keep the programme for the RB211 going while we got satisfactory arrangements going with Lockheed.
§ Mr. RostWill not my right hon. Friend have another look at his diary, because if he could find time to come to Derby he would have to travel through South-East Derbyshire where he would benefit from a most enthusiastic welcome from my constituents, who fully understand that the present rate of unemployment is entirely due to the previous Government's mismanagement of the economy, and who also understand that the Prime Minister would have been able to clear up the mess much sooner if we 1253 had not been landed with the terrible situation that we inherited from the previous Government?
§ The Prime MinisterThe answer to all my hon. Friend's points is, "Yes, Sir".
§ Mr. Harold WilsonComing back to the reality of the Derby situation, does the right hon. Gentleman agree—I think he does—that we on this side of the House, while totally disagreeing with the original decision of the Government on Rolls-Royce—[An HON. MEMBER : "TSR 2."]—and while we still maintain our demand for a Select Committee when the negotiations are over, have held our hand in pressing this matter in the House in order not to prejudice the negotiations in Washington? Will the right hon. Gentleman further confirm that those of us on this side of the House who have been to Washington have given every help to the Government in those negotiations?
§ The Prime MinisterYes Sir ; I agree with the right hon. Gentleman's last point. I notice that the other day, however, he said that we had put Rolls-Royce in pawn to the United States Congress.