HC Deb 14 June 1971 vol 819 cc26-8
30. Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrial development certificates were applied for in Scotland in the first four months of 1971; and how this compared with the corresponding figure for the previous year.

Mr. David Price

Fifty-seven industrial development certificates were granted in Scotland from 1st January, 1971, to 30th April, 1971, for projects of 10,000 sq. ft. and over. The corresponding figure for 1970 was 54.

Mr. Strang

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Scottish people are being asked to bear an unfair share of the social hardship caused by the present industrial recession? Are the Government satisfied with the effect which their policies are having on the level of employment in Scotland?

Mr. Price

The employment estimated by the applicants to arise from the industrial development certificates issued in the two relevant periods when the projects are manned is about 3,400 for a year ago and 5,200 for the current period. That suggests to me an improvement.

Dr. Dickson Mabon

Surely the hon. Gentleman cannot be satisfied with the progress in view of the fact that there is an unemployment figure of 10 per cent. in Scotland? The situation is particularly bad in the West of Scotland, we are about to hear a disastrous announcement concerning Upper Clyde Shipbuilders and there is still the threat of the closure of Rolls-Royce in the West of Scotland. Surely the creation of special development areas was supposed to meet the situation. The figures which the hon. Gentleman has given are not adequate to meet the challenge presented by the position in Scotland.

Mr. Price

I am talking about Scotland as a whole. For May, the unemployment figure was 5.6 per cent. compared with 4 per cent. the year before. That is very different from the 10 per cent. which the hon. Gentleman quoted.

Mr. Clark Hutchison

Can my hon. Friend say whether the Government will put Edinburgh on the same basis as the rest of Scotland?

Mr. Price

I do not know what my hon. Friend means by that. Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello now have development area status. But it is not suggested that they should have special development area status.

Mr. Maclennan

The hon. Gentleman will acknowledge that the level of male unemployment in West Central Scotland and in Glasgow, in particular, is substantially above the figure he has given, and he has not given any indication of the effectiveness or otherwise of the Govern- ment's measures. How many industrial development certificates have been issued in West Central Scotland?

Mr. Price

The Question on the Order Paper was about Scotland as a whole. There are later Questions about Lanarkshire and the West of Scotland.