HC Deb 25 March 1971 vol 814 cc866-7
13. Mr. James Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that are required in the Lanarkshire area to bring down the number of unemployed to the national average.

Mr. Dudley Smith

It is not my Department's practice to make estimates of this kind. My right hon. Friends are however very much aware of the need to increase employment in Lanarkshire.

Mr. Hamilton

Will the hon. Gentleman make some efforts as a Minister? The figures which prevail at present do not give the true picture, since many of the redundancies declared for Lanarkshire have not yet borne fruit, and this will drastically increase the numbers. Is he aware that we have an advance factory in Lanarkshire which is still lying without a tenant, that the Lanarkshire people are now firmly convinced that we are moving back to the Hungry Thirties, and that, unless the Government are prepared to do something, they will take the law into their own hands?

Mr. Dudley Smith

If they think that —I do not necessarily accept that they do—they are wrong, because most of Lanarkshire is a special development area, attracting all the benefits of that status which can come forward. I know that the situation is difficult in Lanarkshire, as it is generally in Scotland. That is why the Government are taking these actions and pursuing policies which we hope, in the long term—and perhaps not too much in the long term—will have an effect on the unemployment situation.

Mr. Gregor Mackenzie

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that we are concerned not only to attract new jobs, as we did in the last six years, but to keep the jobs which we already have? Would he therefore use his good offices with the British Steel Corporation to ensure that its rationalisation plans are such that the jobs which we presently have in Lanarkshire steel mills are retained in Scotland, and that as many as possible are retained in Lanarkshire?

Mr. Smith

As the hon. Gentleman knows, steel rationalisation is not a matter for me, but I take his point and will see that it is drawn to the attention of those responsible.